this post was submitted on 17 Jan 2024
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Linux
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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I'm high AF and new to Linux, what is a terminal emulator?
So the “terminal” is the basic CLI that you use in the single-user, text-based mode. Terminal emulators are graphical programs that run in multi-user, graphics-based mode, and they hook into the terminal and allow you to access it inside graphical sessions. Some examples would be alacritty, kitty, urxvt, konsole, or terminator
Thanks for taking the time.
I've been using the literal terminal app like a caveman I guess... What do these weird apps give me over my regular terminal?
People mentioned tabs and stuff but like... I have tabs?
Every "terminal app" is a terminal emulator, because non-emulated terminals are physical pieces of hardware.
So you are already using a terminal emulator, I'd guess Gnome Terminal, and it's a fairly full featured modern terminal emulator (in my opinion at least).
Thanks I actually thought this was about emulators like the Tektronics Vt 4052 terminal emulator I used to use.
That's exactly what they are, but instead of connecting to a VAX at the other end of a modem they talk to a shell attached to a pseudo terminal device on the same machine.
Fun fact!
Teletypes predate "computers" and were used for efficiently transmitting and recording text.
Here is a purely mechanical teletype from the 1930s being used to interface with a modern Linux machine:
https://youtu.be/2XLZ4Z8LpEE?si=BEsTAz5kkYu9tIQB
This was a very cool video. Thank you for sharing!
And seemingly a nice YT channel :)
Here is an alternative Piped link(s):
https://piped.video/2XLZ4Z8LpEE?si=BEsTAz5kkYu9tIQB
Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.
I'm open-source; check me out at GitHub.
In overly simple terms
It's a terminal app on your desktop, e.g. alacritty, konsole, kitty, terminator, urxvt, etc.
As opposed to the terminal that your computer would boot into it you didn't have a desktop environment installed.
Basically just a more accurate way to say terminal