Terminal Basics Tutorial

Many technical guides and troubleshooting steps require executing commands in a “terminal” or “command line.” For beginners, this might look intimidating (like something out of a hacker movie), but it is really just another way to control your computer — through text instructions instead of mouse clicks.

This guide will help you quickly get acquainted with and open the terminal tools available on Windows and macOS.

🍎 macOS User Guide

On macOS (Apple computers), we primarily use the Terminal application. The default command language is called Zsh (on older versions of macOS it was Bash).

1. How do I open Terminal?

Method 1: Use Spotlight Search — the fastest way!

1. Press Command (⌘) + Space on your keyboard.
2. Type Terminal in the search box.
3. Press Enter to open it.

Method 2: Through Finder

1. Open Finder.
2. Go to the Applications folder.
3. Find and open the Utilities folder.
4. Double-click the Terminal icon.

2. How do I know it opened? You will see a window with white text on a dark background (or dark text on a white background). It usually displays your computer name and username followed by a cursor. For example:

MyMacBook:~ username$ 

or

MyMacBook:~ username%

3. How do I know whether I’m using Zsh or Bash?

• Zsh (recommended/default): The prompt usually ends with %.
• Bash (older): The prompt usually ends with $.
• Confirm with a command: Type echo $SHELL in the terminal and press Enter.
  • If it shows /bin/zsh, you are using Zsh.
  • If it shows /bin/bash, you are using Bash.

🪟 Windows User Guide

Windows has two main command-line tools:

1. PowerShell (blue background): More powerful — recommended.
2. CMD / Command Prompt (black background): Older and more limited.

1. How do I open PowerShell (recommended)?

Method 1: Search from the Start menu

1. Click the Start button at the bottom of the screen (or press the Windows logo key on your keyboard).
2. Type PowerShell.
3. Click Windows PowerShell to open it.

Method 2: Right-click the Start menu (Win 10/11)

1. Right-click the Start button.
2. Select Windows PowerShell or Terminal.

2. How do I open CMD (Command Prompt)?

Method 1: Run command

1. Press Win + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog.
2. Type cmd.
3. Press Enter.

3. How do I tell PowerShell and CMD apart?

🎓 Essential Reading for Beginners: Basic Concepts and Operations

Whether you are on a Mac or Windows, the following tips will help you avoid 90% of common confusions:

1. What does “execute a command” mean? When a guide says “execute curl --version”, it means:

1. Copy the line of code.
2. Paste it at the cursor in your terminal window.
3. Press the Enter (Return) key.
4. Wait for text feedback to appear on screen.

2. Copy and Paste

• macOS: Use Command (⌘) + C to copy, Command (⌘) + V to paste.
• Windows:
  • In newer versions of PowerShell/CMD, you can usually use Ctrl + C / Ctrl + V.
  • Note: In some older CMD versions, Ctrl + C means “stop running.” If you cannot paste, try right-clicking your mouse, or click the icon in the top-left corner of the window → Edit → Paste.

3. Path Separator Differences If you are typing file paths manually:

• Windows uses backslash \ (e.g. C:\Users\Name\Desktop).
• macOS uses forward slash / (e.g. /Users/Name/Desktop).
• Tip: When typing a path in the terminal, press the Tab key to auto-complete the filename — it’s fast and accurate!

4. What to do when something goes wrong?

• Permission denied: Usually means insufficient permissions.
  • Windows: Try right-clicking PowerShell and selecting “Run as administrator.”
  • macOS: Prefix the command with sudo (you will be prompted to enter your login password; the password will not be displayed on screen as you type).
• Command not found: The tool is not installed, or it is not in your system PATH. Refer to our troubleshooting documentation for guidance.