{"id":7078473,"date":"2026-10-06T19:47:20","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T19:47:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7078473"},"modified":"2026-10-06T19:47:20","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T19:47:20","slug":"tui-apps-arent-outdated-theyre-what-power-users-choose-when-they-stop-wasting-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7078473","title":{"rendered":"TUI apps aren’t outdated\u2014they’re what power users choose when they stop wasting time"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

With the dawn of the graphical user interface in the 1980s, people have been saying that text-mode apps are outdated. Using the terminal might seem archaic, but power users and developers still reach for it when they want to get to work<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n TUI apps are distraction-free
\n <\/h2>\n

\n No annoying notifications
\n <\/h3>\n
\n
\n \"Python\n <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

One great thing that text-based apps have over their graphical counterparts is that they’re easy to ignore. A chat app such as Slack or Discord will flood you with notifications that scream, “Pay attention to me, right now!”<\/p>\n

If you’re trying to get work done, this can be frustrating. I first started using the internet in the ’90s, so IRC remains close to my heart. Its use has declined sharply since its peak, but its remaining user base is important: a lot of open-source development is coordinated over IRC.<\/p>\n

I can let Weechat run in the background, ignoring it when I’m doing important work like writing this article, and dip into it when I want to see what people have said or say something. The terminal will still beep when someone mentions me, but this is likely to be actually important.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n They run great on older machines
\n <\/h3>\n
\n
\n \"HTOP\n <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

One reason Linux is popular for reviving old machines is that lightweight applications are available. Text-based apps are the lightest of all. I prefer working in apps to measuring their memory or CPU usage, but comparing them in tools like top, htop, or Task Manager can be instructive.<\/p>\n

If you’re on a resource-constrained machine, such as an old laptop, using text-based programs can help you wring more use out of a machine you might have to consign to a recycler or, more likely, into a pile of abandoned devices.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n Don’t waste time loading
\n <\/h3>\n

What I really like about text-based apps is that I can jump into my work immediately. No splash screens or loading screens to break my train of thought.<\/p>\n

This is why you should seriously consider text-based apps for things you do frequently. If you’re a programmer or even a writer, you’ll spend most of your time in an editor.<\/p>\n

Vim might be famous for being hard to exit if you don’t understand its modal command structure, but your goal should be to stay in it as much as possible.<\/p>\n

While these apps might have steeper learning curves, the effort you spend learning how they work will pay off. With Vim, you can move mountains in a few keystrokes.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n You can script text-based apps
\n <\/h2>\n

\n Automate your workflow
\n <\/h3>\n
\n
\n \"Linux\n <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Another hidden benefit of TUI apps is that you can automate them. The classic way to automate a command-line app is to use a shell script<\/a> or a batch file<\/a>. Since I’m more familiar with the Linux world, I’m more comfortable with the former.<\/p>\n

Linux command-line programs can redirect input and output. You can redirect input to a file, and many programs can take input from other files. You can also send the output of one command into the input of another. This is where I\/O redirection becomes powerful. You can see Brian Kernighan demonstrate this on the original Unix in a 1982 promotional video<\/a>. Kernighan improvises a spell-checker out of previously written programs.<\/p>\n

Even interactive programs can be automated. Programs like Vim come with their own scripting languages; others have their own Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). This lets you create custom functions to automate a workflow by “gluing” existing components together without building a new program from scratch.<\/p>\n

While it will take a while to learn, even if you have some programming experience, the effort will pay off in the long run because you can mold a program to your working style instead of the other way around.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n You can run text-based apps remotely over SSH
\n <\/h2>\n

\n Run TUI apps on a cloud or home lab server
\n <\/h3>\n
\n
\n \"Debian\n <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

One advantage of text-based programs over GUI programs is that they’re much easier to run on a remote machine. You might have a machine on a cloud provider or a Virtual Private Server (VPS), or you might have a home lab. You can log in over SSH and run Vim to make quick edits to a configuration file or program. Or you might want to check on the system itself using commands like ps, top, or htop.<\/p>\n

You can also run a terminal multiplexer to keep your connection up in case of an interruption, which is handy if you’re on a laptop connected over Wi-Fi. You can even use Mosh to keep your connection up across different connections, such as from a wired to a wireless network.<\/p>\n

While you can do this with graphical apps like VNC or NX, SSH is simpler and has lower overhead. It works even if you don’t have a graphical interface or apps installed on the remote machine. It also requires less bandwidth, and it works more reliably over wireless connections like Wi-Fi or cellular.<\/p>\n

\n TUI apps will never go away
\n <\/h3>\n

Text-based apps might seem outdated, but many technical computer users still rely on them for a reason. They offer flexibility and reliability that graphical apps still can’t match.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With the dawn of the graphical user interface in the 1980s, people have been saying that text-mode apps are outdated. Using the terminal might seem archaic, but power users and developers still reach for it when they want to get to work. 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