A few minutes into a conversation about why I use Linux, I am hit with the question. So what is a terminal?
looking at a segment of pstree
├─st───zsh───tmux: client
└─st───zsh───pstree
You can see htop running on this terminal.
Now if we look at the process tree below…
─firefox─┬─Privileged Cont───20*[{Privileged Cont}]
├─Web Content───26*[{Web Content}]
├─2*[Web Content───23*[{Web Content}]]
├─2*[Web Content───24*[{Web Content}]]
├─Web Content───15*[{Web Content}]
├─WebExtensions───22*[{WebExtensions}]
└─79*[{firefox}]
Woah, a lot more processes.
Firefox uses a graphical user interface (GUI) which runs more programs for user accessibility.
By interacting with a terminal, I reduce the need to expend resources at the expense of learning a new skill.
Consider another example. Using Notepad++ and Vim. Or Vim and gVim (vim running with a GUI). Scaling up, we get to a desktop with its clickable menus and convenient taskbar.
For a laptop that is 10 years old, extra processes takes it's toll.
I also only use a handful of applications: text-editor, file manager, music player, pdf viewer. Everything else is online.
No desktop, minimal GUI, only the applications I need.
I think Bruce Lee sums it up well:
Absorb what is useful, discard what is useless and add what is specifically your own.