this post was submitted on 25 Dec 2025
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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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When I have to console into the old Solaris boxes at work, I'm reminded both of how many quality-of-life enhancements we enjoy on modern Linux, and also why I will always default to vi as my editor.
Every time I do not have to use vi as editor I'm glad there's CUA editors like micro which I don't need my three year computer science degree for.
vi really isn't complex.
CUA editors work as long as there is grid display and ANSI input. They do not work in a line feed or console-line environment like telnet, console, etc., hence the need for hjkl movement.
Also CUA is an IBM initiative, it wasn't followed everywhere.
I just boot straight into eMacs.
Emacs is a stranger breed of ppl than vi users still... Kudos.
CUA was not followed everywhere, but it was followed by CDE and so it was native to Solaris.
Yes, well CDE doesn't enter into the equation over a minicom console. As I said, cua isn't super useful in line-feed environments.
I haven't seen CDE in over 20yrs.
Vi is unintuitive and annoying to me. Others can use whatever they want but I can't stand people who tell others they're wrong for not preferring vi.
I use micro in my console, or rather terminal. Why wouldn't it work over telnet when it works via SSH?
Totally fair, I only learned because I was forced to.
Serial consoles feed back information one line at a time, so no curses interfaces. No arrow keys, just hjkl. Anything that needs to count characters and columns (like position-based cursor editors like nano) won't work over telnet.
A serial console and a terminal aren't the same thing.
If you like micro, use micro. I don't care.
I once had to edit and dump a Cisco config from a 10 switch stack over 9600 baud.
It took ages, and then I realised my fancy new terminal still had a default scrollback limit set, and had to do it again.
Actual torture.