No desktop, Best programs?

[Knapp]

On Sat, Feb 6, 2010 at 1:47 PM, Cybe R. Wizard
<cyber_wizard at mindspring.com> wrote:
> On Sat, 6 Feb 2010 11:40:36 +0100
> Knapp <magick.crow at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> 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?
>>
>> Can it be done? Are there limits?
>>
>> Thanks all!
>
> You need to check out INX
> http://inx.maincontent.net/
> (It's Not X)
>
> Cybe R. Wizard

Now that is really cool and sort of what I had in mind when I asked. I
was thinking about a Ubuntu spin-off for really old computers that was
as gui like as possible but did not use X. This is not quite the same
idea but very very close! I even had the idea of writing a little menu
to tie it all together and help keep the newbie in the loop as to what
he might try out just like INX has already done.

It seems the that a complete Ncurses based system might be very newbie
friendly and well supported with nice software. Do you all agree or is
there something better than ncurses?


-- 
Douglas E Knapp

Open Source Sci-Fi mmoRPG Game project.
http://sf-journey-creations.wikispot.org/Front_Page
http://code.google.com/p/perspectiveproject/