I feel your pain re command-line/shell phobia

Post #196,360

2/25/05 4:38:49 PM

I had a former co-worker who flat-out said " I don't do command line". Much like Mariah Carey says she doesn't do stairs.

I'm still surprised/saddened by the amount of people who think if it can't be pointed-to and clicked-at, it can't be done.

Two out of three people wonder where the other one is.

Post #196,400

by pwhysall

2/26/05 2:34:02 AM

Now, I'm all weird on this.

When it comes to UNIX and VMS, I prefer to type. VMS in particular gives you great typing skills, especially as the DCL prompt doesn't have command completion.

When it comes to my own box, I get very annoyed if I can't point and drool. But I admin my server (when it's working; still awaiting new wireless NIC) in an SSH session, even though I could connect it to my monitor.

Post #196,882

by static

3/2/05 1:21:47 AM

I have my Happy Hacking keyboard here at work.

I still get comments about it. But I do all my programming in vi. For which it's perfect. And even mousing is easier because there's no numeric keypad between the active keys and the rodent.

I usually admin my home server with SSH. I've got a monitor plugged in, but there's no X server running, so I may as well SSH in from a larger screen.

Wade.

Is it enough to love
Is it enough to breathe
Somebody rip my heart out
And leave me here to bleed

Is it enough to die
Somebody save my life
I'd rather be Anything but Ordinary
Please

-- "Anything but Ordinary" by Avril Lavigne.

Post #196,885

by pwhysall

3/2/05 1:38:53 AM

No good for me.

Where would I map the Do, Remove, Select, and Insert keys? Where would I put F20? The gold key?

See, VMS people need more buttons to make their text editor go :-)

I never, EVER saw the point of the "happy hacking" keyboard. No-one's desk is THAT small.

/me throws a LK450 at you. Proper keyboard. With a Do key. And 20 function keys.

Post #196,976

by static

3/3/05 1:27:46 AM

I used a real VT320 for a while in a previous job.

It was verra ni-i-ice. I even had a go of a real VT340 once or twice - same as a 320 but colour. :-)

I'd consider a HH keyboard that had a row of function keys. True, I get used to Fn+5, but a real F5 key would be just that little bit better. I know, I know, it's hard to please *everyone*.

Wade.

Is it enough to love
Is it enough to breathe
Somebody rip my heart out
And leave me here to bleed

Is it enough to die
Somebody save my life
I'd rather be Anything but Ordinary
Please

-- "Anything but Ordinary" by Avril Lavigne.

Post #196,981

by pwhysall

3/3/05 1:39:41 AM

3/3/05 1:41:16 AM

Re: I used a real VT320 for a while in a previous job.

I use a 320 regularly, and I think it's OK, but I wouldn't describe it as 'verra nice".

I reserve that assessment for the 510, which is the king of dumb terminals. The 320 is, however, better than the 410 because the 410s are always very dim.

(The 340 is OK, but it is enormous and the screens are always deconverged.)

Edited by pwhysall March 3, 2005, 01:41:16 AM EST

Expand All History

Post #196,493

by Ashton

2/27/05 4:27:20 AM

Us Old-timers report:

The best training (and argument for CL work) Ever! was -

Wait for it . . .

WordStar !!!

The mnemonics were GrrreaT; antithesis of the anal unassociated detritus in Word Imperfect's random labels. From superscripts to block markers, etc. - you soon memorized the scheme; never had to take hands from kb == a natural for the {then still} touch-typists, just naively entering the mind-fuck black hole of 'computers'.

Ex:
One time was watching SO, a super-fast typist - composing a paper for a reactor physicist, with ton(ne)s of ₉₂U²³⁵ type refs and (simple) equations, not needing math graphics (which WS couldn't then do). In the amount of time spent *here* on one "U-235", even with wee codes: she could have entered 5-8 isotopes. When you have to bloody MOUSE for it - make that 8-12.

Ergo: anyone trained on WS would be the last to bitch about kb entry.
Of course, anyone neuron-debilitated by fucking Doze AND who never learned to type ..

CP/M Rulez
Still.

Post #196,602

by Arkadiy

2/28/05 9:22:03 AM

Ctrl-= - subscript Ctrl-+ - superscript

Ctrl-space - default format.

Took me 3 minutes to find in Word Help

Also available:

CTRL+D
Change the formatting of characters (Font command, Format menu)
SHIFT+F3
Change the case of letters
CTRL+SHIFT+A
Format letters as all capitals
CTRL+B
Apply bold formatting
CTRL+U
Apply an underline
CTRL+SHIFT+W
Underline words but not spaces
CTRL+SHIFT+D
Double-underline text
CTRL+SHIFT+H
Apply hidden text formatting
CTRL+I
Apply italic formatting
CTRL+SHIFT+K
Format letters as small capitals
CTRL+EQUAL SIGN
Apply subscript formatting (automatic spacing)
CTRL+SHIFT+PLUS SIGN
Apply superscript formatting (automatic spacing)
CTRL+SPACEBAR
Remove manual character formatting
CTRL+SHIFT+Q
Change the selection to the Symbol font

--

And what are we doing when the two most powerful nations on earth -- America and Israel -- stomp on the elementary rights of human beings?

-- letter to the editor from W. Ostermeier, Liechtenstein

Welcome to IWETHEY!