For new Linux users, the command line is arguably the most intimidating thing. For crusty veterans like me, green text on a black background is as cozy as fuzzy slippers by a fireplace, but I still see CLI Companion as a pretty cool application.

The concept is pretty easy. It's a GUI environment that allows you to double-click your way into entering CLI commands. You can create your own commands (sort of like bookmarks for the command line), or you can search from within the large database of common applications. Oh, and if the command requires command-line arguments? The application pops up a window prompting you to enter them in.

If you're a dyed-in-the-wool Linux professional, CLI Companion might seem like a silly thing to install. If the command line is intimidating, on the other hand, it might be the perfect tool to help you gain mastery. Heck, as I scrolled through the database of applications, I learned a few command-line tools I didn't know existed!

If a GUI CLI is an oxymoron you'd like to check out, surf over to https://launchpad.net/clicompanion and check it out.