I wonder if doing things in the terminal in linux is just the easiest way to communicate how to do something involved over the internet.

A lot of features a user could use the terminal for could probably be done through a UI, but there is such a proliferation of UI solutions that the terminal is easiest and most consistent to explain in text.

@hef
Text console is the One True Interface. All else is an abomination before the eyes of Nix.
@hef it doesn't require screenshots and video to describe how to enter text commands, and that makes it faster and easier to explain.