Baslinux mailing list

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Ron Clarke wrote:
>
> Which is why I stick by my recommendation to Greg, coming 
> from DOS as I did, to get used to an unfamiliar file system 
> using a tool that has a comfortable familiar feel to it.

It seems to me that your "tool that has a comfortable
familiar feel" has got Greg into more trouble than it
was worth.  Surely it's not too difficult for a DOS 
user to cope with the BL3 commands:  cd, dir, copy, del,
ren, edit.  Combine those with d (to browse directories
and view files) and there is absolutely no need for the 
Midnight Command package and the lynx package (particularly 
when you are running BL3 on a loop file that has limited
space for add-ons).

> Command lines are also wonderfully empowering 

Yes they are, and true DOS users should be very comfortable 
there.  However point-and-click Windows users (or dedicated
Norton Commander users, for that matter) may not be so 
comfortable.

> once you have a good grasp of the file system layout 

What's the problem?  DOS has directories and sub-directories;
Linux has directories and sub-directories.  DOS does cd 
between directories; Linux does cd between directories.
DOS uses mkdir to make directories; Linux uses mkdir to
make directories.  

Yes, there are some differences: DOS uses \ while Linux 
uses / ;  DOS puts system executables in \dos while Linux 
puts them in /bin, /sbin; DOS puts startup files in the 
top directory while Linux puts them in /etc.  However, a 
true DOS user will not find this too demanding.

> and have memorised enough commands 

What's to memorize?  A true DOS user will already know: 
cd, dir, copy, del, ren, edit, mkdir, rmdir, more, 

> AND THEIR SWITCHES to do what you want to do.

Memorize the switches?  I've used Linux for ten years and
I haven't memorized the switches.  That's what  --help  
is for (I use it several times a day).  Besides, how many 
DOS users have memorized all the switches for the DOS 
commands?  Not me.  That's what  /?  is for.

Cheers,
Steven