Use this guide if tutorials keep telling you to 'run this in the terminal' and you are not sure what that means. You need a Windows, Mac or Linux computer and a practice folder you do not mind changing.
Step by step
Open a terminal
On Windows, open Terminal or PowerShell from the Start menu. On a Mac, open Terminal from Applications, Utilities, and on Linux look for Terminal in your applications. You will see a prompt, which is where you type commands and press Enter.
Find out where you are
Type pwd and press Enter to print the folder you are currently in (on Windows PowerShell this also works). Type ls to list what is in that folder; in the older Windows Command Prompt use dir instead. The terminal always works in one current folder at a time.
Move between folders
Use cd followed by a folder name to go into it, and cd .. to go up one level. Press Tab to auto-complete folder and file names, which saves typing and avoids spelling mistakes. If a folder name contains spaces, put it in quotation marks.
Create a practice area
Go to your Documents folder and type mkdir practice to make a new folder, then cd practice to enter it. Create a file by saving one from your code editor into this folder, then use ls to check it is there. Keep all your experiments inside this practice folder.
Run a program
Most tools are run by typing their name followed by options, such as python --version or git --version. The output tells you whether the tool is installed and which version you have. Use the up arrow key to bring back previous commands instead of retyping them.
Learn the safety rules
Commands that delete files, such as rm or del, usually do not send files to the Recycle Bin or Bin, so deleted files may be gone for good. Never paste commands from websites or messages you do not understand, especially ones asking for administrator rights with sudo. If a command seems stuck, press Ctrl and C to stop it.
Ready-to-use checklist
- Terminal opened
- Current folder shown with pwd
- Folder contents listed
- Moved in and out of folders with cd
- Tab completion tried
- Practice folder created
- A tool's version checked
- Ctrl and C used to stop a command
Practical tips
- Keep a small text file of commands you use often, with a one-line note on what each does.
- Use the help option, such as a command followed by --help, to see how it works before running it.
- Drag a folder from your file manager into the terminal window to paste its full path.
Common problems
You get 'command not found' or 'is not recognised'.
The program is not installed, is misspelt or is not on your PATH. Check the spelling, install the tool from its official source, then close and reopen the terminal.
You get 'permission denied'.
You may be in a folder you are not allowed to change, such as a system folder. Move back to your own Documents or practice folder rather than reaching for administrator rights.
The terminal seems frozen after a command.
The program may still be running or waiting for input. Press Ctrl and C to stop it, and read the last lines of output for clues.
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