The terminal is a text interface to your operating system—required for Git, package managers, and most server runtimes.
Core commands (Unix-like)
pwd— print working directoryls— list files;ls -lafor detailscd path— change directory;cd ..up one levelmkdir name— create foldercp/mv— copy / move
Windows note
Use WSL2 or Git Bash for the same commands; PowerShell has aliases but paths differ.
Self-check
- Create a folder
practiceandcdinto it. - What command shows hidden files on macOS/Linux?
Interview prep
- A command is “not found”—what do you check first?
Whether the executable is on your PATH for the shell you are actually using, and that you did not mistype the name (tab-complete helps).
- Why quote paths with spaces?
The shell splits on spaces; quoting keeps
My Projectas one argument tocdor programs.