Linux multitasking?

[hulkMAD]

Can u multitask in linux non-GUI (no gnome, etc.) operating system? If so, how do you do it? (like bringing up running programs, like the task-bar thing for windows). For example, I wanna run winamp and talk on AIM at the same time. Is that possible? Is even running one of those programs possible? It seems kinda weird running winamp on a command prompt. My wrist is just screwed up from the mouse so I wanna stay away from GUI’s for a while.

[Redwolf]

-edit- Shows how much I know!

[hulkMAD]

thanks a lot. i guess im gonna hafta still use the mouse if i want music.

[hulkMAD]

i guess im gonna hafta still use the mouse if i want music then. thanks for the reply.

[SpookyEddy]

To launch a GUI application from a terminal but still be able to continue using it simply append an & to the end of the command, something like....

ed@Slacker:/tmp$ gvim &
[1] 15786
ed@Slacker:/tmp$

The number returned is the PID of the new process. If you close the terminal the application will still die as its remains attached to the parent process.

If you are running a pure command line setup and want a console window-manager/multiplexer then checkout a little app called screen. It allows you to run multiple console applications within one terminal and suspend/disconnect/reconnect as you please, very handy for launching long compiles on remote systems.

But you can really do only about 4 things at once

I can't even begin to imagine where you got this from

Regards

ed

[hulkMAD]

how do i switch through terminals without closing them? do i just do the ctrl+alt+Fx thing? sorry...im a n00b.

[SpookyEddy]

Are you running purely console based or have you got any form of X (GUI) running? CTRL-ALT-F1, CTRL-ALT-F2 etc will switch you between the consoles available, otherwise install screen and use that to allow you to run multiple apps within one console and easily flip between them.

[SpookyEddy]

Oh and centericq is a console based AIM client (among other things).

Description: A text-mode multi-protocol instant messenger client
Centericq is a text mode menu- and window-driven IM client program that
supports the ICQ2000, Yahoo!, AIM, MSN, IRC and Jabber protocols.
.
A full list of its features is available at http://konst.org.ua/centericq/.

some information on screen

[Redwolf]

Ahh...very nice Spooky! I learn something new every day!

I figured there would be another app that could do such a thing, but I didn't know of any, so I didn't mention it.

[hulkMAD]

i probably will have X. im going to install mandrake on a new comp sometime. i guess running X and doing stuff within the console in X would be better, but i want to see how pure console handles. so should i just get screen? sounds pretty easy to use.