Linux Desktop Hacks

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Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Console

Hacks #10–15

Some people actually prefer to use Linux as a desktop strictly in text mode,

without running X Windows at all. If you’re among those users, this chap-

ter is definitely for you.

Graphical desktop users have no reason to scoff at this approach. Plenty of

text-mode versions of productivity applications are equivalent to the appli-

cations most people use on a graphical desktop. For example, the text-mode

email client called Mutt is actually more powerful and flexible in handling

email than any graphical email program that I’ve tried. It might not have as

many features as a combination email/organizer such as Evolution has, but

graphical email programs often force you through several menus and sub-

menus to accomplish a task that takes only one keystroke in Mutt.

If you’re under the mistaken impression that you need to run a graphical

desktop to use those special multimedia and Internet keys on your key-

board, this chapter will set you straight. You can redefine your keyboard so

that your multimedia keys control your CD player, the Internet keys open

your email program or web browser, and so on. If you use your imagina-

tion, you can automate just about any action.

This chapter focuses primarily on what you do at the virtual console. You

can use some of the hacks in the chapter (such as how to colorize files in

your pager) in graphics terminals on X Windows