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Chapter 7
CHAPTER 7
Terminal Empowerment
Hacks #49–54
Linux distributors are anxious to shed the idea that Linux is too complex
and to prove you can do anything in Linux from a graphical desktop with-
out having to resort to entering a single command at a command line.
Fedora Core doesn’t even include a terminal icon on its launcher panel, as if
to communicate the message that only outdated geeks and power users need
to resort to command-line tools.
Linux users “in the know” recognize that an easy-to-use graphical interface
is ideal only for some users and some tasks. Other tasks, however, demand
the power of the command line and/or text command scripts.
In addition, some of us simply like some text-based applications. I, for one,
still often use the text-based Mutt email client simply because Mutt sup-
ports macro commands that help you plow through the stacks of new mail
more quickly than with any graphical email client.
So, whether you’re an outdated geek and proud of it, a power user, or some-
one who simply likes using text-based programs, this chapter is for you.
Indeed, this chapter assumes you not only like to use X-based terminals, but
you prefer to use the lightweight terminals instead of the GNOME and KDE
terminals, which consume far more resources.
The last three hacks, “Display PDF Documents in a Terminal”
[Hack #53],
“View Microsoft Word Documents in a Terminal”
[Hack #52], and “View ...