Console Based Applications

Modern operating systems lay so much emphasis on perfecting the desktop environment. Both Windows and OS X incorporate the desktop environment directly into the operating system. Windows 8 extends this further by adding touch technologies to the desktop environment. Apple has spent 12 years enhancing Aqua, the graphical user interface and visual theme of Mac OS X.

Linux has also seen significant developments in the desktop environment over the years, although this has been less marked, in part because there are so many desktop environments that are available for this platform. Ubuntu has in some ways taken the lead by striking out with the Unity environment, a front-end that works markedly different to conventional desktop managers. Unity is also moving towards touch-compatible window sizes. However, Unity has attracted considerable controversy amongst the Linux community. Further, Linux is some way from bracing touch technology, and will need development in working drivers for touchscreens, and a compatible graphical user interface.

One thing that the desktop environments strive to achieve, irrespective of the operating system, is to seek to improve the user experience. But for many users, developments in desktop environments do not make them bounce about in happiness. Whilst the speed and easy-of-use of desktop environments with their graphical user interface applications have seen improvements, the use of console applications has not disappeared. Some users are in their comfort zone running console based applications, and some firms continue to use console applications to process data tasks. Console based applications are still widely used in the real world for many different tasks.

A console application is computer software which is able to be used via a text-only computer interface, the command line interface, or a text-based interface included within a graphical user interface operating system, such as a terminal emulator (such as GNOME Terminal or xterm). Whereas a graphical user interface application generally involves using the mouse and keyboard (or touch control), with a console application the primary (and often only) input method is the keyboard. Many console applications are command line tools, but there is a wealth of software that has a text-based user interface making use of ncurses, a library which allow programmers to write text-based user interfaces.

Console based applications are light on system resources (very useful on low specified machines), can be faster and more efficient than their graphical counterparts, they do not stop working when X Windows is restarted, and are great for scripting purposes. When designed well, console applications offer a surprisingly powerful way of using a computer effectively. The applications are leaner, faster, easier to maintain, and remove the need to have installed a whole gamut of libraries.

It is true that some categories of software do not translate well to the console. For example, it would be difficult to recommend using a console based office suite, or a console based CAD application. However, it is surprising just how many applications with a graphical user interface can be replaced with equivalent or superior console based applications. With this in mind, we have compiled a number of Group Tests showcasing excellent console based applications. We have also compiled Group Tests which have a section devoted to console based applications. There are many other group tests we have written which also contain one or a few console applications which rank as high (or higher) than their graphical equivalents.

Return to our complete collection of Group Tests, identifying the finest Linux software.

Last Updated Wednesday, October 10 2012 @ 04:20 PM EDT