No desktop, Best programs?

[James Michael Fultz]

* Knapp <magick.crow at gmail.com> [2010-02-06 11:40 +0100]:
> Hello, I have been thinking about putting UBuntu on my VERY old
> laptop. It is so old that a desktop is really a waste.
> I know that you can use a mouse on the CLI and that there are some
> very good programs for all the standard functions but what are they?
> Goals.
> 
> Use ONLY CLI.
> Have a desktop like experience.
> 
> I will start with the midnight commander as the file browser.
> What is the name of the program for using a mouse in CLI?
> Programs needed; email, web, fire browser, IRC, torrent, Music, video,
> timer, top like program, networking, a BIG ONE keyboard switcher
> (dvorak to Germany to USA standard), Office, PDF. What did I forget?

email:  Alpine, Mutt
Web:  ELinks
IRC:  Irssi, Weechat
BitTorrent:  rtorrent, transmission-cli, deluge-console
Music:  mpd/nmpcpp, moc, cmus
top:  htop

> Can it be done? Are there limits?

Sure, but it all depends on what you find an acceptable experience.

The following blog seems to have good information on doing the sort of
thing you describe.

<http://kmandla.wordpress.com/>