<![CDATA[Is a command line interface better than a GUI?]]>Is a command line interface better than a GUI?

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/topic/7d45649b-9779-4c09-a430-aa6c96a457de/is-a-command-line-interface-better-than-a-guiRSS for NodeTue, 07 Apr 2026 02:02:34 GMTSun, 05 Apr 2026 23:05:32 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to Is a command line interface better than a GUI? on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 03:36:58 GMT]]>@me @evan Hmm. This i my first time hearing of such a thing, or such a term, anyway:

Link Preview Image
Text-based user interface - Wikipedia

favicon

(en.wikipedia.org)

Obviously, I've used such things many times.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/muddle/statuses/116355669604920051https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/muddle/statuses/116355669604920051Mon, 06 Apr 2026 03:36:58 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is a command line interface better than a GUI? on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 03:33:09 GMT]]>@muddle @evan TUI can often be a happy mediun.]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://social.jlamothe.net/objects/c35d279b-1069-d329-7516-9f4484723761https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://social.jlamothe.net/objects/c35d279b-1069-d329-7516-9f4484723761Mon, 06 Apr 2026 03:33:09 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is a command line interface better than a GUI? on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 03:08:12 GMT]]>@EdwinG @heliomass @evan Depends on your definition of convenient. With a GUI, I actually have to go over to my computer rather than SSHing in from whatever device I happen to have on hand.]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://social.jlamothe.net/objects/c35d279b-3669-d323-9c4c-202147274776https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://social.jlamothe.net/objects/c35d279b-3669-d323-9c4c-202147274776Mon, 06 Apr 2026 03:08:12 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is a command line interface better than a GUI? on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 03:06:53 GMT]]>@evan If you need to build up a complex structure or even some sort of selective batch operation (eg, ripping a DVD you own), it's a lot easier to do these things interactively via a GUI than on a command line.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/muddle/statuses/116355551306119360https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/muddle/statuses/116355551306119360Mon, 06 Apr 2026 03:06:53 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is a command line interface better than a GUI? on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 03:04:36 GMT]]>@gwhilts ohhhhhhh

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://cosocial.ca/users/evan/statuses/116355542315648570https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://cosocial.ca/users/evan/statuses/116355542315648570Mon, 06 Apr 2026 03:04:36 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is a command line interface better than a GUI? on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 03:04:07 GMT]]>@machinaecrire lol, ofc, thanks for replying

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://cosocial.ca/users/evan/statuses/116355540396892189https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://cosocial.ca/users/evan/statuses/116355540396892189Mon, 06 Apr 2026 03:04:07 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is a command line interface better than a GUI? on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 03:00:22 GMT]]>@evan Ha ha. I should have added 😉 at the end of my reply. Didn't want to sound arrogant.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mstdn.social/users/machinaecrire/statuses/116355525701554910https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mstdn.social/users/machinaecrire/statuses/116355525701554910Mon, 06 Apr 2026 03:00:22 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is a command line interface better than a GUI? on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 03:00:12 GMT]]>@evan@cosocial.ca No, not in general. But it highly depends on what the application does.

is a keyboard and mouse better than a touchscreen?
for a text editor, yeah! but for a drawing application, I'd rather take the touch screen (or a pen).
for like, a wifi menu? it shouldn't really matter. both work just as well and it's mostly a personal preference.
for a first person shooter? you could argue either way, but don't forget that lots of folks love joypads/controllers.

for a text editor, i'd much rather have a GUI than a CLI (like ed). but a lot of people prefer a TUI (like nano).
for file management, it doesn't really matter. most people know how to use a GUI, lots of them even have a lot of shortcuts and tricks. but nothing beats the inline scripting of a CLI for flexibility (and again, some people swear by a TUI, like ranger).
for a patchbay graph (like crosspipe), I feel like a GUI is infinitely better than a CLI. you could implement the same operations in CLI, but it would not be the same category of application.
for something like ffmpeg? it has a bazillion switches that would be incredibly overwhelming to present in a WYSIWYG-GUI style. it's difficult to make it anything but a CLI. arguably, the CLI sucks too, but at least you can copy paste magic incantations instead of needing to follow a tutorial with twelve screenshots on exactly where to click.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://gaysex.cloud/notes/akq62ph199k00001https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://gaysex.cloud/notes/akq62ph199k00001Mon, 06 Apr 2026 03:00:12 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is a command line interface better than a GUI? on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 02:50:23 GMT]]>@earth_walker boooooooooooooooo

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://cosocial.ca/users/evan/statuses/116355486414838526https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://cosocial.ca/users/evan/statuses/116355486414838526Mon, 06 Apr 2026 02:50:23 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is a command line interface better than a GUI? on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 02:50:00 GMT]]>@gwhilts what

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://cosocial.ca/users/evan/statuses/116355484874197003https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://cosocial.ca/users/evan/statuses/116355484874197003Mon, 06 Apr 2026 02:50:00 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is a command line interface better than a GUI? on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 02:49:46 GMT]]>@pauamma don't die wondering

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://cosocial.ca/users/evan/statuses/116355483972723657https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://cosocial.ca/users/evan/statuses/116355483972723657Mon, 06 Apr 2026 02:49:46 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is a command line interface better than a GUI? on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 02:46:40 GMT]]>@machinaecrire also apples are better than oranges

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://cosocial.ca/users/evan/statuses/116355471784091990https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://cosocial.ca/users/evan/statuses/116355471784091990Mon, 06 Apr 2026 02:46:40 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is a command line interface better than a GUI? on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 02:40:09 GMT]]>@kzurell hard disagree, my question is more interesting

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://cosocial.ca/users/evan/statuses/116355446160213066https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://cosocial.ca/users/evan/statuses/116355446160213066Mon, 06 Apr 2026 02:40:09 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is a command line interface better than a GUI? on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 02:39:42 GMT]]>@jamesmarshall I ask hard questions!

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://cosocial.ca/users/evan/statuses/116355444408690232https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://cosocial.ca/users/evan/statuses/116355444408690232Mon, 06 Apr 2026 02:39:42 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is a command line interface better than a GUI? on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 01:33:25 GMT]]>@evan @heliomass Yes, but less convenient

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mstdn.moimeme.ca/users/EdwinG/statuses/116355183736452681https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mstdn.moimeme.ca/users/EdwinG/statuses/116355183736452681Mon, 06 Apr 2026 01:33:25 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is a command line interface better than a GUI? on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 01:31:44 GMT]]>@evan

Horses for courses

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://xoxo.zone/users/gwhilts/statuses/116355177140090506https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://xoxo.zone/users/gwhilts/statuses/116355177140090506Mon, 06 Apr 2026 01:31:44 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is a command line interface better than a GUI? on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 01:28:38 GMT]]>@evan Is an apple better than an orange? Well, do you want to make an apple pie or orange juice?

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mstdn.social/users/machinaecrire/statuses/116355164975395982https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mstdn.social/users/machinaecrire/statuses/116355164975395982Mon, 06 Apr 2026 01:28:38 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is a command line interface better than a GUI? on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 01:28:05 GMT]]>@evan No, neither is generally better than the other. They are both suited to different applications.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mindly.social/users/earth_walker/statuses/116355162769189016https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mindly.social/users/earth_walker/statuses/116355162769189016Mon, 06 Apr 2026 01:28:05 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is a command line interface better than a GUI? on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 01:24:49 GMT]]>@evan "There is yet insufficient data for a meaningful answer."

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mstdn.social/users/pauamma/statuses/116355149980629234https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mstdn.social/users/pauamma/statuses/116355149980629234Mon, 06 Apr 2026 01:24:49 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is a command line interface better than a GUI? on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 01:20:17 GMT]]>@evan As an IT administrator, I've found that the best-designed software has a language with objects and verbs. The language may be surfaced in a CLI and/or and API. I'm sure the code underneath follows this design.

The GUIs for these apps are layered on top of this and provide easy access to more complex actions with lots of options, the one case where a GUI is superior to a CLI.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://cosocial.ca/users/virtuous_sloth/statuses/116355132134209695https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://cosocial.ca/users/virtuous_sloth/statuses/116355132134209695Mon, 06 Apr 2026 01:20:17 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is a command line interface better than a GUI? on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 01:18:19 GMT]]>@evan It depends on the task. I.e. no, it isn't better. Cold hard logic. Bam. Boom. Kablooie.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.nl/users/toothpaste_sandwich/statuses/116355124397246875https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.nl/users/toothpaste_sandwich/statuses/116355124397246875Mon, 06 Apr 2026 01:18:19 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is a command line interface better than a GUI? on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:16:50 GMT]]>@evan Depends on the task, as others have said. But as a general matter, the CLI is more powerful. Yes, but.

(I run Emacs both in GUI and terminal mode.)

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://cosocial.ca/users/mpjgregoire/statuses/116354882660531319https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://cosocial.ca/users/mpjgregoire/statuses/116354882660531319Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:16:50 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is a command line interface better than a GUI? on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:15:56 GMT]]>@evan Each is better suited to some tasks than the other. You can do CAD with a command line but anything that visual is usually easier with a good GUI.

Likewise, tasks that are suitable for scripting are usually better done with a command line.

The best systems mix them, using each where it is more suitable and have done for more than 50 years.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.online/users/MartyFouts/statuses/116354879103727733https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.online/users/MartyFouts/statuses/116354879103727733Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:15:56 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is a command line interface better than a GUI? on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:04:12 GMT]]>@evan The more interesting question: is there a lossless conversion back and forth between a grammar and a GUI toolkit?

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://cosocial.ca/ap/users/116230347415370847/statuses/116354832977228803https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://cosocial.ca/ap/users/116230347415370847/statuses/116354832977228803Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:04:12 GMT