"guv" to go remote, then "dbguv" to backup.

.. just realised, can better that ..

create new alias in local bashrc:-

#copy guv db to local
alias guvdumpcp="scp -P 1234 username@12.34.56.78:/remote/path/to/dbBACKUP.sql /local/path/to/store/dbBACKUP.sql"

Full details for local Linux to remote Linux ..

Backup or Upload with Secure Copy SCP (Linux/Linux)

Full details for local Windows to remote Linux ..

Backup or Upload with PuTTY PSFTP (Windows/Linux)

Then, from local, after updating bash, anytime you wanna download db, just type:-

guvdumpcp

.. or whatever alias you want.

Better still, run a script and download a bunch of db's at the click of a desktop icon/launcher ... will tutorialise that massive time-saver (esp for web devs and sysadmins) in VPS Admin, have made a note.

Sure wish programming my VCR was that simple.

but! every action on a cp/terminal is a server resource cost, diverting those from availability for your sites. (yes, that is worded differently)

i prefer webmin too. you'll find me at their forums, pushing for an nginx module. but even with webmin there are more steps involved than with the terminal.

.. in an ideal world, we'd have a light cp for convenience, yet using the terminal for regular tasks. but we don't have an ideal world, if you want the mega-efficiency of nginx (compared to Apache).

for those that don't feel comfortable with the terminal, read Edit bashrc for User-Friendly Linux, plus System Updates, use reference like Maintain Unmanaged VPS (4 Newbies) .. V-P-S Admin, and just type memorable shortcuts into the terminal. cron aside, for example, if i wanna back up this db, i type "guv" to go remote, then "dbguv" to backup.

would be good to hear .. what infrequent commands? please lemme know. am considering waht's missing in VPS Admin. i am aware there's a few key things that aren't in the index that should be.

Further, I don't think your new set of objections is valid either:
"F'rinstance, carry out a syntaxed task and it's a command, done dusted"
Yeah -- except that you have to remember what the command is. I use a CP on my boxes so I don't have to remember all the Apache configuration syntax. Perhaps if I were working as a sysadmin and using these commands every day it would be a different thing, but that's not the case currently.

" .. but to do the same thing in a typical panel, and you have to jump through a bunch of hoops to even arrive at the relevant link."
Then you're using a bad control panel. Are you familiar with Webmin?

"I don't think that's as important as is the time it saves the user to do things via the terminal tho"
The command line is great for some things. It is not good for entering infrequently-used commands whose syntax must be precisely right or else it hurt the configuration of a critical system (which is what your Web server is). I'm glad I know how to use the command line, but I prefer not to have to use it for everything all the time. That's why I don't run on a greenscreen dumb terminal. Using a CP absolutely saves me time.

The parts that explain stuff like permalinks are good!