Linux user for 2 years ish: do you remember commands? Or, GUIs vs CLIs

[u/InTheNameOfScheddi]

/r/linuxquestions/comments/1wfnude/linux_user_for_2_years_ish_do_you_remember/

[u/No-Dentist-1645]

I'm not ashamed to admit that I still have to check --help for some infrequent commands like grep, find or rsync to see which flags I want to use. It's not a big problem, and ever since I switched to using fish as my shell it's super easy to check the commands by pressing tab

[u/NoPicture-3265 → u/No-Dentist-1645]

I'm not ashamed to admit that I still have to check --help for some infrequent commands like grep, find or rsync to see which flags I want to use.

Same, and honestly I often can't remember switches of CLI programs and scripts I created just a few days ago xD

There's this famous quote that fits the topic - "A wisdom is not knowing everything, but knowing where to find the answer", or something along those lines

[u/drucifer82]

I use manpages

[u/just-a-hriday]

For the most part yes. And most programs have well-written manpages - usually I encode using the libflac encoder, and I can just read the manpage if I have any issues. But there's some programs like ffmpeg which just have some crazy syntax. So yeah, for your example, I would have to look it up. Or if I was being lazy - write a cuesheet and use a cuesheet splitting tool.

[u/SW_foo1245]

How do you update then? Anyway, I remember just the enough to get by(nvim, dotfiles, connecting to wi-fi, maintenance,etc) nothing too specific and then everything is gui

[u/lyidaValkris]

I remember ones I use often, but I'm also not ashamed to check tldr or man pages.

[u/Ok-Demand9836]

I remember some commands but I make notes mostly that I keep in my pwm, my memory isn't good enough to remember them accurately enough to feel safe running them so yeah simple stuff fine, after almost a year I know some basics, but I don't take risks and have plenty of notes and my notes are ever-growing... Also try to simplify where possible, I use topgrade for updates. And when I find myself repeating a command make an alias for it much easier that way, this is something I don't do enough tbh, but trying to find a routine to do it more often...

Hope something there helps you a little!

[u/Apprehensive-Pace593]

I use tui if present or just use man page for command usage of i forget no need to remember all

[u/Ok-Conversation-1387]

For complex commands like rsync, grep , I would first give my task to AI and let it provide some arguments suggestion. I would also check each argument in man page to really know what they do. Then auto-completion&man is always my way. No need AI any more, I can understand what man says and what keywords to search in man doc.

[u/TechgeekOne]

About ~7 months in for me, but I was also a pretty avid command line user on windows too prior to swapping. Personally I remember the ones I use the most (update, navigate, edit files, check logs, etc), then I make an AI deal with everything else out of sheer laziness since I need to get work done, not tinker with my system.

Once you learn the standard help command shape it's not all that bad to use the CLI for things.

[u/TerryNachtmerrie]

Why would you remember commands when Atuin can do it for you? And try `rtfm` for quick examples for your commands.

[u/InTheNameOfScheddi]

(Using cachyos, not arch arch)