Android command line?

[short/y]

I've been reading through the posts here and over at Google Code and haven't yet found anything that tells me whether I'll be able to get to a command line on an Android-powered phone. I mean, it *is* running Linux and I can't imagine that functionality would be ommitted but, hey, I've been wrong before.

Or is this just a stupid noob question?

[androidmaddy]

Well, Android is targeted towards the masses, and I guess only the geekiest of all (me included and probably 0.001%) would want to have a bash shell on their SmartPhone (I wonder what would I do on it though). So, I guess it's pretty obvious that a command line utility might not be included in there by default, but I'm sure you could add it later from Android Marketplace, sooner than later.

Also, if I wanted to access the guts of my linux powered phone from a bash shell, I'd rather be sitting in front of my dual monitor, quad core home setup and comfortably do that, instead of using the tiny mobile keyboard.

My 0.002cents/kilobyte

[refused9150]

I can see command line as one of the first apps to come out. Its essential for development.

[GreenLeaf]

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Only geeks would want that... If they include CLI, they'll scare away the masses..... Nothing can be better than GUI for the masses.

CLI is one thing that has kept millions of 'potential linux user' (like me) from making the switch...
Sure it may be the fastest way to get things done but only after you type in the command..... To get the command you have to search in the forums.... what about that time spent in searching.... If you take a broader view of the matter, for avg Joe it is the slowest way of getting things done.... & definitely not the most pleasant way!

I guess you have not learnt your lessons from iPhone..... IT"S THE INTERFACE! STUPID!! IT"S THE INTERFACE! Keep it as simple & neat as possible....

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[refused9150]

I completely understand that but it wouldn't be a must for users only those who need it. Like the command lines for the iPhone, if your doing something that requires the use of one then you should know how to use it already.

[GreenLeaf]

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Well... I'm not against CLI.... Only that I don't want CLI to take precedence over the GUI..... Let there not be a single function that only CLI can do & not GUI ..... Currently in linux there are lot of things that can be done only from CLI... I'm telling from personal experience from using ubuntu.... first it sounds fun how fast it works...then it starts to frustrate you that you have to go to forums repeatedly & ask for help... & not to forget there are some very dangerous commands too which wipe everything in one go..... That's not a very good way of promoting adoption.

Let there be CLI but hidden & not easily accessible to the average user.

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[refused9150]

Yeah it is really based around CLI. Kind of daunting for first time users.

[short/y]

I guess it wasn't a stupid n00b question after all

On OS X the CLI (well, Terminal) was hidden for quite a while but it's always been there and was very useful for those of us who wanted to know how OS X was doing what it was doing. I've got an SSH client on my Windows Mobile phone s I can login to my servers or, heck, even my desktops for that matter, when I'm out on the road. I'd like the same functionality on my soon-to-be-new phone and, while I'm at it, I'd like to be able to get under the hood of my phone and do things that only the geekiest would want to do (clear my ARP cache, for instance).

So, does anyone know if you can climb under the hood in this way?

[short/y]

Hmmmm ... no answers. So, does this mean that no one here knows the answer or just that no one's talking? Guess it's time to head over to the Android group on Google. If I ever get an answer, I'll post it back here.

[short/y]

Uhhh ... bump?