The Terminal

The terminal (also called the command line or shell) lets you control your computer by typing commands. Developers use it every day to run projects, install packages and use Git.

Why Use the Terminal?

Many developer tools have no buttons; they only work from the terminal. Examples are npm, git, python, php, dotnet and deployment tools. Once you know 10 basic commands, the terminal is often faster than clicking.

Opening a Terminal

System	Terminal
Windows	PowerShell, Windows Terminal, or Git Bash (installed with Git)
macOS	Terminal (search with Cmd+Space)
Linux	Terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T on Ubuntu)
Any	The terminal inside VS Code: Ctrl+Backtick

The commands below work in Git Bash, macOS, Linux and mostly in PowerShell too.

Where Am I?

The terminal always works inside one folder, the current directory.

Example

bash

pwd
ls

Output

/home/ayesha/projects
bakery-site  notes.txt  portfolio

pwd prints the current folder (print working directory)
ls lists the files and folders in it (ls -la also shows hidden files)

Moving Around

Example

bash

cd bakery-site
pwd
cd ..
cd ~

Output

/home/ayesha/projects/bakery-site

Command	Goes to
`cd folder`	A folder inside the current one
`cd ..`	One level up
`cd ~`	Your home folder
`cd /`	The top of the drive
`cd -`	The previous folder

Press Tab to complete folder and file names. Type cd bak and press Tab, and the terminal finishes bakery-site for you. It saves time and avoids typing mistakes.

Files and Folders

Example

bash

mkdir new-site
cd new-site
touch index.html style.css
ls

Output

index.html  style.css

Command	What it does
`mkdir name`	Make a folder
`touch file`	Create an empty file (Git Bash, macOS, Linux)
`cp a.txt b.txt`	Copy a file
`cp -r folder copy`	Copy a folder
`mv old.txt new.txt`	Rename or move
`rm file`	Delete a file
`rm -r folder`	Delete a folder and everything inside
`cat file`	Show what is inside a file
`code .`	Open the current folder in VS Code

rm deletes files permanently. They do not go to the Recycle Bin. Double-check before pressing Enter.

Useful Shortcuts

Key	Action
Up / Down arrows	Repeat previous commands
Tab	Complete a name
Ctrl+C	Stop the running program (like a dev server)
Ctrl+L or `clear`	Clear the screen
Ctrl+R	Search your command history

Running Programs

Most tools you install add a command to the terminal. Check versions to confirm they work:

Example

bash

node --version
git --version
python --version

Output

v22.11.0
git version 2.47.0
Python 3.12.7

If you see "command not found" or "is not recognized", the tool is not installed, or the terminal needs to be restarted after the installation.

Flags and Help

Many commands accept flags that change how they work, like -la in ls -la. To learn a command's options, use:

Example

bash

git --help
ls --help

Exercise

Which command moves you one folder up?

cd ~cd ..pwdls ..