Tutorials · Beginner
The terminal without fear: the commands you'll actually use
The terminal won't bite. Learn to open it on Windows and Mac and the few commands you actually need to move around, list files and not get lost.
- Terminal
- PowerShell
The terminal is just a way to type commands to your computer instead of clicking. It’s scary at first, but 6 commands are plenty to get around. Pick your system above and tap each step.
1 Open the terminal
Press the Windows key, type PowerShell and open it. (“Command Prompt” also works.)
Press Cmd + Space, type Terminal and open it.
Easiest: open it inside VS Code with Terminal → New Terminal. That way you’re always in your project’s folder.
2 See where you are and what's there
Type the command, press Enter.
- See the current folder:
cdpwd - List the files in that folder:
ls
3 Move between folders
- Enter a folder:
cd folder-name - Go up one level (to the parent folder):
cd ..
Tip: type cd and drag a folder onto the terminal, it pastes the path for you.
4 Create folders and files
- Create a folder:
mkdir my-project - Create an empty file:
ni file.txttouch file.txt
Your lifesavers (memorize these)
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| ↑ arrow | Repeat the last command (don’t retype it) |
| Tab | Auto-complete file/folder names |
| Ctrl + C | Cancel what’s running |
clear | Clear the screen |
Golden rule
You don’t have to memorize everything. When a tutorial (or Claude) says “run this”, copy and paste the command and press Enter. With cd, ls and the arrow keys you’re already good.