[dagmx]

Knowing Linux is different than knowing how to use a CLI.

I dislike that the two are conflated.

Firstly, Mac and Windows both offer a very mature command line interface.

But also, I don’t think knowing Linux should require you to know the command line either. If other operating systems don’t require it, neither should Linux.

If you’re focusing on “developer tools”, even then, what tools do most devs need that can’t be done from a UI? I live a lot of my time in the terminal but there’s very little that can’t actually be wrapped in a UI

[skeeter2020]

all your points are valid, and you don't "need" the knowledge but it sure feels like the UI can get in the way of some things, mislead your formation of a mental model, or reduce the clarity & density of information. I find most source control tools with mouse-driven UIs like this.

[dagmx]

I think CLI tools can help compartmentalise functionality and that can be helpful.

But I think they can also obscure functionality the same way as a GUI tool.

Take git for example, it’s much easier to visualize how it works from a GUI. Squashing is also faster in a GUI. But some other operations are clearer when you’re giving every flag yourself.

Ultimately I think it comes down to the UX of something regardless of the form of UI it’s presented in.