But even knowing I could go my entire life never having run another command in Linux, I still tend to default to that tool. Why? It’s efficient. There are times when I know exactly what I need to do and how to do it. Most often the “how” could take one of two paths: the command line or a GUI. But knowing my fingers type faster than my hands work with a mouse or touchpad, I very often go down the CLI (Command Line Interface) path first. It’s second nature to me. Truthfully, though, for me, it’s all about efficiency. So if that means a command is more efficient than tracking down the system setting in a GUI, that’s the path I take. Also: The 5 best Linux distros for programming But that doesn’t always mean the default terminal window is the most efficient option. For that, I still have to move my hand from the keyboard, maneuver my cursor to the desktop menu or a panel, and open the terminal before I can type that first command. What if there were a more efficient option? There is. Said option comes in the form of the top-down terminal in Linux and it’s an absolute treat to use. Here’s how a top-down terminal works:
Once installed, the top-down terminal will run in the background.When you need to use the terminal, you hit a key combination on your keyboard.Your top-down terminal will appear from the top of your desktop.Use the terminal as you normally would.When finished, use the same key combination to dismiss the terminal.
The important thing is that your fingers never had to leave the keyboard. That’s efficiency. When you’re super busy throughout the day, even those collected seconds make a difference.
Two different top-down terminals
There are two primary top-down terminals I use: Guake and Yakuake. Guake is the top-down terminal for GNOME and Yakuake is the top-down terminal for KDE Plasma. Neither of these terminals is installed by default, so you have to add them yourself. On Ubuntu-based systems those terminals can be installed with the commands: On RHEL-based systems, those terminals are installed with: I’ll demonstrate using a top-down terminal by way of Guake. Also: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9: Security baked in
How to get started using a top-down terminal
Also: How to run websites as apps with ease on Linux And that’s how and why I make use of a top-down terminal in Linux. Not only is it more efficient, it removes clutter (by not using up precious space in a dock), and is also pretty cool to use. Give either Guake or Yakuake a try and see if it doesn’t help make using the Linux terminal a bit more efficient and fun.
