Linux help with applicaions and command line

Gang,

wanted to know if you can do the following.

1. boot machine into text (command line) only.
2. run applications like Firefox and/or Open Office from command line, with out having to run GNOME or KDE.
3. when exit the application you drop back to the command line.

Thank you,
Cheers!!!

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Comments

sthomas

I am sure there are other people on this forum that know a lot more about Linux than I do that could have a better solution but I think you need some form of Window Manager to run GUI applications in Linux. Here is an article that lists a few alternatives to Gnome and KDE.

http://www.linux.com/articles/37552

shednik

datchcha wrote:

Gang,

wanted to know if you can do the following.

1. boot machine into text (command line) only.
2. run applications like Firefox and/or Open Office from command line, with out having to run GNOME or KDE.
3. when exit the application you drop back to the command line.

Thank you,
Cheers!!!

I'm no expert with linux at all but I'm going to have to say no without loading Gnome or KDE there is no window manager running to display the application. I've never used it before but I've been told there's an application called 'lynks' (sp?) that may be able to accomplish what you're looking to do, although it's a text based web browser.

Mishra

1. there is a file called the /etc/inittab and it has run levels that you assign. You can assign a run level of 2 or 3 and it will boot without a GUI
2. A browser called lynx is a text based browser for the command line. VI is open office

3. The only way you could do something like this is script it I believe. Another option you might think about is just booting into X and displaying 1 icon for their application and 1 icon for exiting X. Users can't do anything in X with just user permissions so it would be a safe way of doing what you MAY be doing. I'm just guessing here.

ally_uk

Alternativley you can install Debian netinstall which by default is installed without a GUI this is the way I taught myself Linux from here you get a real feel for the system as you are stuck in the deep end straight away.

liven

Having been an avid unix/linux user for many years now, I have not heard of anyone doing this.

Now I am not a linux expert, and I am not saying what your wanting to do is impossible.

But it would be pretty difficult with out some sort of scripting.

You needs some sort of windows/display manager to use gui applications.

Xorg or sometimes just called X is going to be necessary. It is pretty much the standard windows manager for linux/unix

Then most people add a desktop environment like: kde,gnome, or something light weight like enlightenment.

So anyway you have to fire off this windows manager, but you have to get that to happen when you launch firefox, hence the need for scripting. That is not really a big deal.

But then getting the windows manager to close upon exiting the program is much more difficult. I am sure it could be handled with scripting, but would take some tinkering to get it running correctly.

liven

shednik wrote:

datchcha wrote:

Gang,

wanted to know if you can do the following.

1. boot machine into text (command line) only.
2. run applications like Firefox and/or Open Office from command line, with out having to run GNOME or KDE.
3. when exit the application you drop back to the command line.

Thank you,
Cheers!!!

I'm no expert with linux at all but I'm going to have to say no without loading Gnome or KDE there is no window manager running to display the application. I've never used it before but I've been told there's an application called 'lynks' (sp?) that may be able to accomplish what you're looking to do, although it's a text based web browser.

Your pretty much correct! You will have to have X or something like it (x86free or xorg) to be able to launch gui apps. But I am sure it is possible to script it up so that lauching firefox will launch your windows manager as well.

liven

Mishra wrote:

1. there is a file called the /etc/inittab and it has run levels that you assign. You can assign a run level of 2 or 3 and it will boot without a GUI
2. A browser called lynx is a text based browser for the command line. VI is open office
3. The only way you could do something like this is script it I believe. Another option you might think about is just booting into X and displaying 1 icon for their application and 1 icon for exiting X. Users can't do anything in X with just user permissions so it would be a safe way of doing what you MAY be doing. I'm just guessing here.

Yes X will be running as the user that launched it. So launching subsequent applications will require that these applications have executable permission either for the user or the group the user is in. And definitely do not launch x as root!

seuss_ssues

I do not know of a way to do exactly what you are asking.

You might look into virtual consoles (its a default setting on all linux ive used).
So you can be running X in one console (or more than one) and use the command line in any of the other consoles. You switch between them by hitting <ALT+Function key> for example <ALT+F3>.

Wikipedia reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_console_(computer_user-interface)
In Linux, the switching is performed with a key combination of Alt plus a function key -- for example Alt+F1 to access the virtual console number 1. Alt+Left arrow changes to the previous virtual console and Alt+Right arrow to the next virtual console. To switch from the X Window System, Ctrl+Alt+function key works. These are the default key combinations, as they can be redefined.

JDMurray

What would be cool is if there is a graphical Linux/GNU shell that looks like a command line to the point of being undetectable--until a GUI app (FireFox) is started and its window appears over the command line display. To me that would look totally surreal.

datchcha

thanks gang for the comments....Didn't know i would get so many hits...thanks agian.

Cheers!!!!

liven

seuss_ssues wrote:

I do not know of a way to do exactly what you are asking.

You might look into virtual consoles (its a default setting on all linux ive used).
So you can be running X in one console (or more than one) and use the command line in any of the other consoles. You switch between them by hitting <ALT+Function key> for example <ALT+F3>.

Wikipedia reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_console_(computer_user-interface)
In Linux, the switching is performed with a key combination of Alt plus a function key -- for example Alt+F1 to access the virtual console number 1. Alt+Left arrow changes to the previous virtual console and Alt+Right arrow to the next virtual console. To switch from the X Window System, Ctrl+Alt+function key works. These are the default key combinations, as they can be redefined.

Bump, I use this feature all the time. It is especially useful when using a KVM or something of that nature.

You can run a tcpdump on one console and then run network commands from another.