Utilizing Console Interfaces for Hg, SVN or git

Question

I've been spending a lot of time utilizing Mercurial. On windows, I've been using TortoiseHg and on Linux and Mac OS X, I've been (forced) to use the console interface.

After spending time with the console utilities, I find (to my surprise) that I do like them.

But, most of my usage has been superficial. I've been doing basic clones, pulls and merges with the rare but occasional commit. I've not done any heavy lifting with it.

What I'm curious about is if regular users use the console interface of tools like Mercurial, SVN and/or git for real world, day-to-day development? Until now, I've never given the console program of SVN much thought -- I've always used TortoiseSVN.

I realize that there is no real answer to this question (Hence, it's community wiki) but I thought other real-world insight would be beneficial. If others have successfully used these console programs, perhaps it's worth using them more.

So, do you use the console programs on a regular day-to-day basis or do you only use them when you need to?

Note: I do realize that people use the console programs. It is ridiculous to think they are not used. This question is focused on day-to-day use for average developers for average development. Average being that you generally use GUI interfaces and/or you are developing GUI applications.

Answer 1

I develop primary on OS X, frequently on Linux, and occasionally on Windows. The only place I don't use the console utilities is in Windows, where I'm not as familiar (and thus not as productive) with the console. On OS X and Linux, I exclusively use the command-line utilities for Git, Mercurial, and Subversion. I find the command-line utilities to be more powerful (especially in the case of Git), and I feel more "at home" with them.

I do use gitk and GitX (a gitk-like program for OS X) to visualize Git histories, but that's the only GUI tool I use.

Answer 2

I use the svn binary regularly on Unix, doing "svn up", "svn diff", "svn commit", "svn ann", and "svn log" most of the time. I prefer the command line, because I have a shell window open in the source anyway (to run builds and tests), and along with file name completion, using the keyboard is faster than using the mouse for me.