Avoiding the terminal for any purpose on Linux Challenge
Avoiding the terminal for any purpose on Linux Challenge
Hello everyone, this is my first visit to the site, so I’m still getting used to its guidelines. Please forgive if it doesn’t fit perfectly into the right forum! My interest started with Linus’ and Luke’s Linux Challenge. Since I already run Linux daily on a dual-boot setup, I figured it would be exciting to switch distros and avoid using the terminal for anything on Linux. I’ve set up Ubuntu 20.04 now, but keep Windows alongside because Visual Studio is essential for my studies. Currently, I’m relying on Ubuntu most of the time, only switching to Windows when I need to work with VS. If I ever have to turn on the terminal, I’ll wipe this Ubuntu partition and replace it with Windows—just a tough push to keep going.
There are two exceptions to my usual rule:
1) Automated programs that launch the terminal without user input don’t count as failures.
2) Development isn’t allowed—I must use the terminal for coding classes, even though I prefer IDEs. This is just an exception for specific needs.
I’m hoping this challenge will be enjoyable! I’ll share updates about the struggles I faced and any tips I gather along the way. I’m not great at updating posts, but I’m determined to improve. I’m curious if you enjoy the challenge and want to try it yourself.
EDIT (12/9/2021): My first obstacle appeared. My daily browser is Brave, which only works with Chrome on Linux. Installing Brave via terminal shouldn’t be an issue.
EDIT (12/9/2021): Ubuntu Software isn’t functioning well. I can only see the Editor’s Pick without thumbnails. This will make things tough. My current fix is searching for the app online and hoping it has a “Install from Snap Store” option.
EDIT (12/10/2021): Livepatch was blocking updates. I had to disable it, wait patiently, and eventually got 21.10 installed. The Software Center remains unresolved—maybe someone here can help.
EDIT (12/10/2021): NordVPN requires terminal installation. I’m hoping OpenVPN with NordVPN works instead.
EDIT (12/11/2021): My college site stopped working on Windows, but it stayed stable on Ubuntu. That’s a strange situation.
EDIT (12/15/2021): Great news! The Software Center search is now working. This has solved many of my issues.
Today’s highlights:
- Lost the challenge due to broken Software Center and frequent updates.
- Experienced hiccups with NordVPN installation.
- Found a workaround for Brave on Linux.
- Received positive feedback on the Software Center issue.
I’m hoping this thread stays engaging, maybe by rotating distros weekly or trying new apps to test stability. If you’re interested, I’d love your thoughts on keeping things fresh. Thanks for your time—I’ll see you next time, possibly troubleshooting tech issues together! Bye!
It's a smarter move considering the questionable actions Brave has taken.
I truly believe this will be challenging. There are numerous situations requiring the terminal. I set up Discord on my Ubuntu 20.10 from the official store, and added a VSCode extension called "Discord Presence." It displays what you're working on in Discord. However, that extension kept producing errors, and I couldn't grasp any of them. I visited Discord's site and downloaded the .deb file. The only solution was using the terminal with the command './filename.' The version I installed through the terminal functioned correctly. So yes, the terminal proved essential. There are many other scenarios where it’s crucial. Nonetheless, I still think this demonstrates how far you can go without a terminal on Linux.
It's perfectly fine to rely on the terminal. The key is understanding that you don’t have to avoid it. Those who are knowledgeable enough to use a terminal usually have the skills to work across different operating systems. I favor Windows, but I’m comfortable switching to Linux whenever necessary, and I regularly use the Linux terminal on Windows through WSL. If you’re already familiar with the terminal, there’s little reason to limit yourself from using it when it makes sense.
I aimed to demonstrate what I intended. Using Windows often means I don’t need to open a terminal for troubleshooting; I can simply adjust settings and it works, or I can just restart. I wanted to understand how much progress Linux has made in this area.
That sounds like a thoughtful approach. I hope I can explore it on Windows too. I’m hoping to uncover useful tools and see what options are available. If it helps me learn something new, that would be great!
I'm not sure what they've been doing. Is it related to the crypto wallets? I also prefer using Brave because of its built-in private Tor window. I really like that option.