Why Do Linux Fans Like the Terminal So Much?

The command line terminal is always one of the most popular features in Linux, even if the graphic interfaces are common in office computers for decades. There are several reasons why the terminal remains, but if you are new on the platform, you don’t have to worry about it.

The Linux operating system was created in the 1980s as a free alternative to Unix, and like most other platforms based on UNIX, the main user interface was a command line shell. A basic graphics desk was available via X window system, and full -fledged office environments finally appeared (like KDE 1.0 in 1998), but the terminal was still necessary to make the most of a Linux system.

Nowadays, a terminal is rarely required when using office linux. You can usually install software, modify settings, manage files and upgrade your operating system without ever type. So why is it always a popular way of using Linux, and why so many online guides always ask you to use it?

The terminal has not changed

Linux terminal and main utilities have not changed much over the years, and many of them still reflect the first UNIX versions of the 1970s and 1980s. I picked up the book “Unix Utilities: To program’s reference” in a Thriftt store a few months ago, which was published in 1987. Many orders and scripts are still working on my main computer today, in 2025. years on Windows or Dos would be a fun novelty, but it would certainly not be useful for modern calculation in the same way as this unix book.

Just like in the first days of Unix and Linux, you can use public services like cd And ls To browse the file system, cat To display text files, regular expressions for scripts, man For reading help documents, and more. Not all Linux distributions have all the same basic utility rooms installed by default, but all missing tools can usually be downloaded.

The immutable terminal interface is one of the best Linux power user features. If you understood how to do something in the terminal two decades ago, you can continue to do it in this way. No one will stop you. The graphical interface is still there when you need it, but your terminal knowledge will not become useless over time.

This also applies to other UNIX -based operating systems to variable expansion, including macOS. Many of the same GNU and UNIX public services from Linux distributions (and my thrift store) are available in the macOS box, and many others are available via Homebrew. I can cd In my download folder just as easily on my Mac as when I use Ubuntu or Fedora Linux.

The terminals are shortcuts

Even if you are not a long -standing Linux user, the terminal is always excellent as a way to jump quickly around system settings and local files. Like keyboard shortcuts, if you take the time to learn the orders for current tasks, you can do your job faster.

For example, I often need to check the local IP address of my computer, usually for web server tests. I could open the Settings application, access the network section, click on my current network and watch the IP address. I can also open the terminal and type ifconfig -a To list the IP addresses for all my active network connections. My hands do not even leave the keyboard, because MacOS and most Linux distributions can open the search for applications with a keyboard shortcut.

There are a few other repetitive tasks that I can do more quickly with a terminal, like using ping To quickly debug internet connection or connection problems, or to convert multimedia files with imagemagick. Keyboard shortcuts in graphic applications are generally sufficient.

It makes the documentation simple

If you have already tried to search for a guide for something on Linux, such as modifying a parameter or installing an application, it will probably give you commands to enter a terminal. It is true even if something can be done via graphic applications or menus. There are several reasons for this.

First, the Linux ecosystem is savagely Various through servers, office computers and integrated devices. If I wanted to write a guide to check your IP address on a Linux device via the graphical interface, I should include instructions for Gnome, KDE, Cinnamon and perhaps some other common office environments. These instructions would also slowly fall up to date, because these parameters and menus are still changing.

If I wrote a guide to check your IP address, and it just explained how to execute ifconfig -a In a terminal, it would be useful in almost all Linux distributions for the coming years, and all other operating systems with a similar base. The 38 -year -old Unix book on my desk with orders that still work on my MacBook Pro 2024 is proof. This is why so many videos, guides and reference manuals are still still jumping straight to the terminal.

The need for terminal commands in guides, videos and other documents probably helps perpetuate the idea that terminal knowledge is absolutely necessary to use Linux on a desktop computer. It is certainly Not true, but I understand where people have this idea.

The terminal on Linux and other UNIX -based operating systems can be an incredibly useful tool for many reasons, but as mentioned above, it is not necessary. If you want to try Linux, start with the graphic applications and the menus of your distribution to do the work, and try the terminal if you are stuck.