[Techtalk] Best substitute for Scientific Linux?

[mgmonza at iceland.freeshell.org]

On Wed, 24 Feb 2021, Akkana Peck wrote:

>
> I haven't used Scientific Linux, so I'm just going by your
> description. But I always keep a few terminals open, so if I
> want to run a program by typing the first few letters, I focus
> a terminal, type the first few letters of the command, hit TAB
> (depending on your shell, you might need two TABs) to autocomplete
> the program name, and hit return.

For open terminals (like this one), alt/tab works exactly how I mean. It's 
the kind of strictly keyboard control I like.  I have a terminal icon 
among the ones on my desktop and type 't' to focus on it, then enter to 
open it.

My cluttered desktop also has icons for the file directories I use most 
often, like 'home', 'the computer', a web browser, plus whatever I'm doing 
or want to remember currently, mostly text and directory icons named for 
those things, focusable (is that a word?) by typing the first letter of 
the name I've given it.

> If you don't want "muriform intervention" (ha, love that term!) even
> to get to the command window, many (most?) window managers
> understand alt-TAB or [windows key]-TAB to shift focus among windows
> on the current desktop.

Had to look up miriform - always thought the combined form of "mouse" was 
saurian but when I looked it up to make sure, the dictionary says that 
means dinosaurian (that would be me), among other reptiles!


> Or you could set up a window manager so that some special key
> combination brings up a temporary terminal, in which you can type
> and autocomplete the command you want to run.

The Ubuntu that came with a used Thinkpad I just got has this one feature. 
Ctl/Alt/T opens a terminal on the desktop.

> I use Openbox so I 
> could help you configure an Openbox-based system, but a casual web
> search suggests Scientific Linux might have used IceWM, so maybe
> your best bet is to install Debian or buntu, then install IceWM and
> copy the IceWM configuration from an old Scientific Linux machine.
>

Installing IceWM seems like the best approach.  Now that I have the terms, 
I'll see if its something I can do. Configuring Openbox may be beyond my 
technical abilities - I'm just a saurian former mainframe programmer.

> One of the great things about Linux is how flexible it is: you
> can configure almost anything! I'm sure there's a way to configure
> a window manager to do what you used to get in SL.

I'm sure there is!  One of the things I've always liked about using SL is 
having a highly technical sounding OS without being all that technically 
skilled.  Could be time to actually -be- a little more technical.

Just from all the answers to this, I've gotten several good ideas, useful 
search terms and a better way of thinking about what I'm looking for 
(essentially a file window laid out flat).  Thank you, everyone.

MG

>
>        ...Akkana
>
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