[H-GEN] Computing without GUI

[Benjamin Robert Carlyle]

[ Humbug *General* list - semi-serious discussions about Humbug and  ]
[ Unix-related topics.  Please observe the list's charter.           ]
[ Worthwhile understanding: http://www.humbug.org.au/netiquette.html ]


An email to let people know I'm still alive after the
honeymoon ordeal:

I originally started using linux with the Slackware 3.0
distribution, I did have X installed, but I usually found the
console sufficient.  I increased the number of virtual
terminals (those available under linux by using the Alt-Fxx
keys and Alt-Arrow keys) so that I could keep a number of
sessions open at once, particularly when it came to editor
sessions next to compilers. Keeping adept with the ^Z suspend
feature of most editors and console-based programs and the
fg/bg/jobs mechanisms inherant to most UNIX shells is also a
good thing.  Some folk like screen, but I never really got
into it myself and therefore can't comment.

When it comes to distros, I would never recommend anything but
debian.  I have a machine with a monitor that has been dying
over the past five years or so and which at some times has not
been able to manage anything past text console mode anyway. 
This 486 machine is not too powerful, but has 16 meg ram and a
1 Gig hard drive.  My initial install of Slackware (yes, this
is the machine I originally started using linux on...) proved
expensive to manage.  Compiling everything by hand for
installation was a bit on the tedious side, especially with
such a small machine.  Debian is a much simpler system and
unlike Redhat does not have it's configuration system tied
closely with a GUI.  The packaging systems are simple and
robust, and quite easy to manage.   Although I find it easier
to "less /var/lib/dpkg/available" and use apt than use dselect
directly, the system as a whole is very good.  I thouroughly
recommend it.


Anyways... night night.

--
* This is list (humbug) general handled by majordomo at lists.humbug.org.au .
* Postings to this list are only accepted from subscribed addresses of
* lists 'general' or 'general-post'.