life on the console by jtr · command line computing - 27 January 2005, 14:04

I have been enjoying my experiment. I am becoming more convinced that life without X is possible. It is, unfortunately, not likely for a number of reasons. A I lamented some time ago, and as others have blogged, there is not a console-based word processor for Linux. There are numerous word processors for DOS. I simply do not understand why OSS developers have not created a console word processor. This is baffling. We have numerous mail clients, myriad text editors, innumerable console games, oodles of window managers, but nary a console word processor. I understand that most open source developers develop to scratch an itch (search for “scratch” at that link). No developers have itched for a console word processor? Bizarre. I simply do not understand this. Nonetheless, this is not the only obstacle to a console-only installation of Linux. It seems that a number of console applications were really written to function in a GUI environment. Consider this from the centericq (a console instant message client) documentation under the heading “4.5. URL open action (web browser support)”:

The ~/.centericq/actions file is responsible for this. By default it has a command to execute netscape, but you can change to whatever you want. Please only note that you cannot put lynx or any other text mode based browser starting in the same console there. [emphasis mine]

Huh? Wha? A console application can only call a GUI application? Does this make sense? NO! This is unfortunate. Centericq is one of the more feature complete/mature console applications I have encountered. I actually prefer it to gaim. The interface takes some time to get used to; for me that was one or two “conversations” with it. It is a very good application – but was designed to run in a GUI environment. Baffling.

The user interface of some console applications is absurd and obtuse. Try using mp3blaster. Perhaps I am just too dumb, but I took ~20 minutes to figure out how to play a playlist. Selecting songs to play is simple enough. How is one supposed to start the playlist? There is no “play” option! Hey, Lucy! You got some ‘splaining to do!

If I had the knowledge and the time and the inclination and the support, I would create a new Linux distribution (yes, another one) that focused exclusively on the console. I would probably start with Knoppix for its tremendous hardware detection/configuration. It is Knoppix that first spurred me on to use the console framebuffer. I would simply remove all the GUI stuff – X, window managers, GUI apps, et cetera. I would then work to integrate the various console applications so they can work together. For example, one should be able to call a browser to view a link or a picture in an email or an instant message. One should be able to call up an email program when browsing a web page with a “mailto:” link on it. This should all “just work”. Sadly, I have neither the knowledge, nor the time, nor the inclination, nor the support to do this. Too bad. I would call it “Bashix” or some such. I think there is a “market” for such a distribution, primarily in places where the populace is too poor to purchase “modern” hardware. My experiment is running on a Pentium 200MHz system. Performance is simply not an issue. Perhaps some developer somewhere will read this and be inclined to pursue it. I would lend whatever help I can offer.

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  1. If, by any chance, some developers take an interest, I will gladly drop other projects to write documentation, etc. for it. Once it worked halfway, I’d probably shift my BSD work into the background, too. Let’s hear it for Bashix!
    — Ed Hurst    Jan 27, 09:10 PM    #
  2. I use console everyday, I love to be in runlevel 2&3; I use elinks for browsing, and there is some kind of integeration between that and email clients, and other things, and when it comes to man pages, pman(and pinfo) does the same, when you follow a link, an email link, or just an url, it calls the appropriate application.
    But I agree with you, there should be some kind of distribution that thinks about anything, and configures everything, because there are a lot of things that should be considered.
    — hossein    Feb 3, 11:27 AM    #
  3. On my website I hav e some tips for command line multimedia use.
    www.dblsys.ca
    Hope you find it usefull.
    I use the console everyday and prefer it to X.
    — dbl    Mar 2, 02:41 AM    #
  4. Hello,

    I really liked your “Bashix” project. I can help you if you decide to go on with this project. I think it should be based in LFS (linux from scratch) instead of knoppix for performance reasons. I can build the “core” of the distribution myself. It should be focused, as you said, for desktop users, something really revolutionary, as I’ve never seen anything that unites Console and Desktop, although that is exactly the way I’m using the computer now (and you too).
    I can also help in the configuration, install script, testing, etc.
    I have some experience in Bash Scripting, which could help in the configuration and init scripts.
    If you’re interested, just drop me an e-mail.
    — Leonardo    Mar 6, 01:04 PM    #