a) Explain the difference between command shells and graphical shells, including

ID: 3816878 • Letter: A

Question

a) Explain the difference between command shells and graphical shells, including advantages and disadvantages of each.

b) Do an Internet search to find and list 3 graphical shells that exist for Unix-based operating systems.

c) What is the purpose of configuration files?

d) Give the command to create a new command called ‘ls2’ that runs the longer command ‘ls -aF1’ .

e) What would you type to have your bash prompt change to the phrase “Hi, . You are currently in . What should I do? ”, where is the current directory that you are in at any given time and is the username of the current user of the shell?

Explanation / Answer

Answer-a

Diffriance is given below as Topic wise-

Topic

Command line (CLI)

GUI

Ease

Due to a higher degree of memorization and familiarity needed for operation and navigation, new users find operating a command line interface more difficult than a GUI.

Because a GUI is much more visually intuitive, users typically pick up on how to use a GUI faster than a command line interface.

Control

Users have a good bit of control over both the file and operating systems in a command line interface. However, for new or novice users, it is not as user friendly as a GUI.

A GUI offers a lot of access to files, software features, and the operating system as a whole. Being more user friendly than a command line, especially for new or novice users, a GUI is utilized by more users.

Multitasking

Although many command line environments are capable of multitasking, they do not offer the same ease and ability to view multiple things at once on one screen.

GUI users have windows that enable a user to view, control, manipulate, and toggle through multiple programs and folders at same time.

Speed

Command line users only need to utilize a keyboard to navigate the interface, often resulting in faster performance.

While newer technology is making a GUI faster and more efficient than ever before, using both a mouse and keyboard to navigate and control the GUI is still a bit slower than a command line interface.

Resources

A computer that is only using the command line takes a lot less of the computer's system resources than a GUI.

A GUI requires more system resources because of the elements that require loading, such as icons and fonts. Video, mouse, and other drivers need to be loaded, taking up additional system resources.

Scripting

A command line interface mostly requires users to already know scripting commands and syntax, making it difficult for new or novice users to create scripts.

Creating scripts using a GUI has become much easier with the help of programming software, which allows users to write the scripts without having to know all the commands and syntax. Programming software provides guides and tips for how to code specific functions, as well as preview options to see if and how the script will work.

Remote access

When accessing another computer or device over a network, a user can manipulate the device or its files with a command line interface. However, you must know the commands to do so and is not as easy for new or novice users.

Remotely access another computer or server is possible in a GUI and easy to navigate with little experience. IT professionals typically use a GUI for remote access, including the management of servers and user computers.

Diversity

After you've learned how to navigate and use a command line, it's not going to change as much as a new GUI. Although new commands may be introduced, the original commands almost always remain the same.

Each GUI has a different design and structure when it comes to performing different tasks. Even different iterations of the same GUI, such as Windows, can have hundreds of different changes between each version.

Strain

A command line interface is often very basic and can be more of a strain on a user's vision. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can also be a bit of a risk when using a command line interface because users are only using a keyboard. There is little need to change hand positions and strain to the wrists or even fingers can occur.

The use of shortcut keys and more frequent movement of hand positions, due to switching between a keyboard and a mouse, strain may be reduced. Visual strain can still be a risk, but a GUI has more colors and is more visually appealing, leading to a potential reduction in visual strain.

ADVANTAGES of Graphical User Interface

A GUI allows computer users to employ visual elements, such as desktop icons, to navigate and operate software. GUIs serve as a replacement for the earlier command line interface, or CLI, approach, in which users type key terms and symbols to operate the computer. Operating systems function as a GUI on computers, smartphones and some MP3 players. You can create a more rich, and intuitive interface than is possible with CLI.
Most lay users will have a smaller learning curve using a GUI.
Complex, multi-step, dependent tasks can easily be grouped together in a way that discourages mistakes.
Ability to embed media

DISADVANTAGES of Graphical User Interface

Although the GUI, or graphical user interface, has revolutionized the world of PCs, it has several noticeable disadvantages. The system that the GUI replaced, the command prompt, is still the best way to perform some computer tasks. By learning about these tasks, you can decide whether you would like to continue depending on a GUI to accomplish them.With a GUI, there is no way to directly cause a chain of computer-wide events to occur at once. You can’t easily create system events. You may be able to do so, but you will have to work your way through a wizard or some other visual program to do so. Bloated software can waste memory, and reduce the performance of an application.
-Sometimes it is more difficult to allow for advanced/power options in an “intuitive” GUI interface, than it is with a CLI.
-Scripting a GUI interaction is not easily done unless it is just a set of repetitive tasks that don’t require a lot of feedback, or actually testing the GUI.

ADVANTAGES OF CLI-

Most folks that have computer technology as a career are familiar with using this interface, especially if they have a nix background.background.
Requires a lower threshold for the interface. This means that a relatively simple program like telnet available almost on all machines is all you need to interface via CLI.
Easy to integrate with scripting, and other programmatic interfaces.
They can be quite powerful in the right hands. Piping multiple commands together, parsing feedback, etc.
Many of the most common CLI executable s in the nix world are consistently ported, so there is a lot of consistency across systems. Another advantage that Command Line Interface (CLI) offers over access through GUI is the ability to execute task quickly. Operating systems using GUI tend to store application and tools in menus and graphical folder in order to organize them which results in wasted time through unproductive mouse clicks.

DISADVANTAGES OF CLI-

Not intuitive, especially to a lay user.No media.
Complex combinations can be difficult to remember, and slower to type but that is on a task by task basis, as often you can perform tasks faster with CLI.Disadvantages of using Command Line Interface (CLI) include its unattractive appearance. CLI are not user-friendly because they require the user to remember a lot of commands. The user has no other way to perform a specified task than typing in the right command and parameters. Although this problem has been eased to some extent through caching all previous commands, but it poses an issue as there are a lot of commands to remember

Answer-c

In computer science, configuration files provide the parameters and initial settings for the operating system and some computer applications. Configuration files are usually written in ASCII encoding and contain all necessary data about the specific application, computer, user or file. Configuration files can be used for a wide range of reasons, though they are mostly used by operating systems and applications to customize the environment. Configuration files are used for operation system settings, server processes or software applications.Configuration files are also known as config files.

Configuration files can be identified with the help of the extensions such as .cnf, .cfg or .conf. Most computer applications and operating systems read their configuration files at bootup or startup. Certain applications periodically check the configuration files for changes. Administrators or authorized users can provide instructions to applications to re-read the configuration files and apply any changes to process as needed or even read arbitrary files as configuration files. There are no predefined conventions or standards as far as configuration files are concerned. Certain applications provide tools for modifying, creating or verifying the syntax of the configuration files. Some configuration files can be created, viewed or modified with the help of a text editor. In the case of Windows operating systems, the most important configuration files are stored in in the Registry and MIF files.

Answer-e

The default command line prompt in Mac OS X is something like:

ComputerName:CurrentDirectory User$

MacBook:~/Desktop Admin$

This renders looking the currently active directory (PWD), the hostname of the computer, and the username of the current user, looking like the following:

/System @ MacBookPro [Paul] $

for prompt change to the phrase “Hi, . You are currently in"

export PS1="h:W (Hi, . You are currently in) $ "