Command Line Basics for Beginners

Open the Terminal

Different operating systems use different names:

• Windows: Press Win + R, type cmd, hit Enter (Command Prompt). Or search for PowerShell in the Start menu.
• Mac: Press Cmd + Space, type "Terminal", hit Enter.
• Linux: Press Ctrl + Alt + T.

A black (or white) window will appear with a blinking cursor. That's the terminal.

Where Am I? (pwd / cd)

Before you do anything, know where you are in the file system.

Mac / Linux:

pwd

Output example: /Users/alex/Documents

Windows:

cd

Output example: C:\Users\Alex\Documents

The output tells you which folder you're currently in. All commands you run will affect this folder.

What's Here? (ls / dir)

List the files and folders in your current directory.

Mac / Linux:

ls

For a detailed list (size, date, permissions):

ls -la

Windows:

dir

Output example:

Documents   Downloads   Desktop   Music

Navigate Folders (cd)

cd stands for "change directory". This is your most-used command.

Go into a folder:

cd Documents

Go back up one level:

cd ..

Go to your home folder:

cd ~          # Mac/Linux
cd %USERPROFILE%   # Windows

Jump between drives (Windows):

D:

Switches from C: to D: drive.

Create Folders and Files

Create a folder:

mkdir my-project

Works on all operating systems. "mkdir" = "make directory".

Create an empty file (Mac/Linux):

touch index.html

Create an empty file (Windows):

type nul > index.html

Or with PowerShell:

New-Item index.html

Delete a file:

rm filename.txt       # Mac/Linux
del filename.txt      # Windows

Delete an empty folder:

rmdir folder-name     # Mac/Linux
rmdir folder-name     # Windows

Move and Copy Files

Copy a file:

cp file.txt backup.txt     # Mac/Linux
copy file.txt backup.txt   # Windows

Move or rename a file:

mv old.txt new.txt         # Mac/Linux (rename)
mv file.txt ../           # Mac/Linux (move up one folder)

move old.txt new.txt      # Windows
move file.txt ..\         # Windows

Note: On Mac/Linux, mv does both "move" and "rename" — the same command, different context.

Run Programs and Scripts

The terminal lets you run any program installed on your system:

Run Python:

python hello.py

Run Node.js:

node app.js

Run Git commands:

git status
git commit -m "First commit"

Run npm commands:

npm install express
npm run start

Any program whose folder is in your system PATH can be run just by typing its name.

Stop a Running Command

Sometimes a command runs forever (like a local server). To stop it:

Ctrl + C

This sends an "interrupt" signal to the program and returns you to the prompt. This is the most important shortcut to remember.