On the shell, shell-script, command-line and terminal tags

Question

There are many questions using the tags command-line, shell, terminal. A cursory look suggests that most terminal questions are about terminal emulators and their configuration, while command-line questions are can be about shell programming, about finding the right utility to accomplish a task, or occasionally about the terminal. Shell questions are currently spread over command-line, shell (sometimes with script or scripting) and shell-script (plus specific shells, of course).

I think it would be better to stick shell programming and shell configuration questions under one tag (shell unless they're specific to a particular shell), and I suggest the following distinction, but don't feel strongly about it. Counter-proposals (including “it's just fine as it is because …”) are welcome.

• shell: shell interaction (line edition, prompt, history, etc.), and one-liners.
• shell + script, or maybe shell-scripting: shell scripting (anything complex enough that you'd put it in a file, whether it's your .bashrc or a standalone script).
• script (synonym scripting): automating a task, not necessarily in a shell language
• command-line: “How do I do X on the command line?”
• terminal: about the terminal (emulator).

It would be nice to be consistent with other Stack Exchange sites (but that's not a requirement, and they're not consistent anyway).

• Stack Overflow: shell and shell-scripting are synonyms; command-line isn't, though maybe should be (only programming questions are on-topic there).
• Server Fault: no clear distinction between shell and command-line; shell-scripting is practically unused.
• Super User: no clear distinction between shell and command-line; shell-script is not used much.
• Ask Ubuntu: see Terminal vs. Command-Line, Merging scripting related tags.

Update: A few months later, I think that command-line and terminal are used mostly as above, and shell is mostly used for shell programming (with or without script or [shell-scripting]). Why not, but surely one of script and shell-scripting should go.

Answer 1

In general I agree with the meanings that you have outlined and would be happy to help in a retagging effort if we decide to go that way. Here are a few comments:

• Whatever we decide to do, it is important that new users not get badgered just because they tagged a command-line question as terminal. I doubt we would have a problem with that, but I could easily see it alienating new users.

• I've always struggled with the conflict between my personal desire to give every tag within a tagging system a clear meaning and the knowledge that sometimes fuzzy tags (that is, tagging command-line questions terminal even if it doesn't technically makes sense), can add value to a tagging system since it allows questions/items to be found even by those who use the words differently. We should at least recognize that there is a trade-off that occurs when we remove the terminal tag from command-line or shell questions. Many new users view anything you type into the black box with blinking cursor as relating to a "terminal" since that is what they clicked on to get there.

• While I don't think being consistent with SO or SU is that important, it would be nice to be consistent with AU, that way it would be easy to find similar questions across the two sites. I don't visit AU very much, but I imagine that many of the terminal, command-line, and shell questions would be of interest to both user groups and we could cut down on unnecessary work by easily being able to reference articles from each other.

• I don't like shell-scripting. I have no reason other than immediate emotional response to seeing it.

I think we should allow command-line to be fairly broad and I think your definition does that well.

Answer 2

Users almost certainly won't use those tags correctly, since most people don't understand the distinction in the first place, but we should be able to retag posts that are wrong. I prefer shell-scripting to shell + script, and scripting to script, although it's probably a little confusing to use scripting for things that aren't actually scripts. Is automation sane?