HN Explorer

Ask HN: Who uses the comand line?

2 points by aladinmix ↗ HN
Hello HN, I started Learning SSH, and started Learning about the comand line. I'm curious who actualy uses that ? What are the advantages ? Thanks.

6 comments

[ 3.1 ms ] story [ 22.8 ms ] thread
savethefuture
I use it, automation, quick command reference, tab complete, much more powerful options, ability to chain/pipe commands.
schoen
I wrote a book about Unix which has never been published, and in that book I suggested that the command line's benefits are

1. Remote administration and remote command execution

2. Scriptability and automation

3. Low ambiguity and high information rate

4. Extensibility, generality, and reuse

5. Low technical requirements for supporting user interface

6. Ease in reproducing and documenting problem solutions

7. Ability to work “close to the machine”

I'm happy to clarify any of these if you'd like.

I use the command line every day both on my own machine and on remote servers.

aladinmix
Thanks for the clear answer! I'm Learning here by playing this game, it's fun because I have to do my own research and do some trial and error. What do you think ? Is it a good way of Learning the command line ? Or you can suggest something else ? Thanks.
schoen
There are several games that offer particular challenges and some of those should be a nice way to learn.

You might also want to take a look at the FLOSS Manuals Introduction to the Command Line

http://archive.flossmanuals.net/_booki/command-line/command-...

aladinmix
Wow! It's a great ressource! I'll have a llok into it, thanks!
schoen
If you want, I can also send you a draft of my book. However, my book is very interested in history and culture so it doesn't have a practical orientation or organization and may present topics in the wrong order, and go into details that most command line beginners didn't want.