Pt. and click file manager or CL for you experienced *nix users?

[oaul]

Hello - I am an exclusive command line user for managing my files and running my apps. I use openbox and strive to get my computer environment to be very minimalist.

I started this thread because i have read many posts on linux forums where an apparently very experienced *nix user mentions that using an exclusively command-line environment for managing files is "like wiping your ass with leaves when camping" or "just plain retarded". Frankly, I am shocked.

I worked as a 6-month intern at sun microsystems which forced me to use a command line for my work (and henceforth managing my files) and I can't see why an experienced *nix user would ever take a file-browser over a command line. For me, its gotten to the point where I get genuinely pissed off when i have to say open an mp3 with my mouse on my PC.

Of course beginners probably won't use a CL to manage there files because its a steep learning curve to do so. That's why I want to direct this towards people who have some experience with *nix. I am very interested in this topic plus i feel this is relatively flame-war resistant.

So? Do you use a CL or a file-manager for managing your files?

[bidi]

I kind of mix and match! If all I need to do is move files around or put them in the trash I'll use Nautilus (GNOME's file manager). However, sometimes I need to do things as root, at which point I'll use the CL. Generally, if I start from the CL I'll stick with it for the whole operation since I can do things faster this way. I can type very with no mistakes very fast (50-60 words a min) so I do very well on the CL. However, someone that doesn't have experience with a keyboard will have a hard time doing working on the command line.

I think it's mostly a preference thing, and if you can't type fast it can be very fustrating getting things done, so I can see where the poster you referenced is coming from, but don't agree with him.

In my opinion, the biggest problem with graphical work is going from the mouse to the keyboard and back, which takes too long relative to just staying on one or the other.

[bigtomrodney]

I'm very happy and proficient with the CLI and do a lot of my work there. Sometimes when I tell people how easy Linux is they ask me why I spend so much time typing commands, then I get onto the choice argument. For me though there are things that are more suited to the GUI. I use a lot of media, videos particularly so for that it can be beneficial to see previews. I usually have about 2-3 terminals open anyway but it often works more quickly to just hit F2 to partially rename a file, or to select a large number of random files a control-click works better for me. It's all about needs and preferences I guess.

[oz]

In my opinion, it's a huge mistake to claim that either is better for everyone.

[oaul]

i guess the answer to my question is a bit more obvious than i thought. Like most everything else involving preference in the linux world, 'it just depends'.
Though i admit it didn't occur to me the usefulness of movie/media previews in a file-manager. i also didn't realize until i started playing around with nautilus how good its thumbnail capabilities are. Made 'fm' my alias to nautilus --no-desktop `pwd` and already its proven pretty darn useful.

[hazel]

I like nautilus. And I like cli too. When it comes to file management, I think it's the number of files you want to manipulate that counts. To open or move a single file, I use cli if I'm already there, otherwise nautilus. But for multiple files, it has to be cli. Trying to do that in a graphical file manager is just time-wasting and exasperating.

[fingal]

Sometimes it seems right to use a GUI, and at other times it seems better to use a CLI. For example this weekend I got Realplayer and Java working in Firefox after an OS upgrade... For that I prefered to use a BASH CLI with tab completion so I could create some symbolic links.

Some people - such as the one mentioned by the orig. thread poster - are immature and will visit web Fora to slag people off for their preferences. I ignore them because it's not a case of 'either / or' and 'which is best'. It's entirely situational as to which one you would prefer at any given time. The beauty of a GNU/Linux system is... we get a choice.

[bigtomrodney]

I like nautilus. And I like cli too. When it comes to file management, I think it's the number of files you want to manipulate that counts...

That's an excellent point Hazel - I guess it depends too on whether you consider using midnight commander to be still using the command line

[Cabhan]

It really depends for me, as with most people here. I tend to do all of my file manipulations and operations via CLI (though for media and such, I tend to use rox, just so I can see my whole library), and do media, web browsing, e-mail, etc. via GUI.

Since I am a fast typer and I am pretty familiar with most CLI operations, I find it to be a lot faster that way.