Is the terminal the same as the command prompt?

Not exactly. Command Prompt (cmd.exe) is Windows's legacy terminal. PowerShell is the modern Windows shell. On macOS the Terminal app runs zsh by default. They all let you type commands, but the commands themselves differ between Windows (cmd/PowerShell) and Mac/Linux (bash/zsh).

Do I need to know the terminal to learn coding?

Yes, eventually. Even if you start with GUI tools you will need the terminal to install packages, run dev servers, use Git, and deploy code. The sooner you get comfortable here the faster everything else clicks.

Both are shells — programs that interpret your commands. Bash was the default on macOS until 2019; zsh replaced it in macOS Catalina. The commands covered in this guide work the same in both.

Can I break my computer by typing the wrong command?

You can delete files permanently with rm, so take care with deletion commands. But navigating, creating folders, and running programs is completely safe. When in doubt, read the command before pressing Enter.

What is the Terminal? Complete Beginner Guide for Mac | explainx.ai Blog

Most beginner tutorials assume you already know what the terminal is. This one doesn't. By the end you'll be able to navigate your file system, create project folders, run programs, and read error messages — all without touching your mouse.

Watch along as we open the terminal and run every command in this guide.

What is the terminal, and why do developers use it?

The terminal is a text-based interface to your computer. Instead of clicking icons and menus you type instructions and press Enter. The computer executes them immediately.

That sounds slower than clicking, but it isn't once you know the commands. A developer can:

Create 10 nested folders in one command instead of clicking "New Folder" 10 times
Install a library in 3 seconds with npm install instead of hunting through a GUI installer
Run the same sequence of steps every time with no mouse errors
Connect to a remote server that has no screen at all

Everything in modern development — installing Node.js, running Git, starting a Next.js app — happens through the terminal. There is no way around it.

How to open the terminal

macOS

Option 1 — Spotlight (fastest):

Press Cmd + Space
Type Terminal
Press Enter

Option 2 — Finder: Go to Applications → Utilities → Terminal

You'll see a window with a prompt that looks something like this:

snippet

yash@MacBook-Pro ~ %

That % (or $ on older Macs) means the terminal is ready for a command.

Windows

Windows has three options. Here's what each one is:

Tool	What it is	Recommendation
Command Prompt (`cmd.exe`)	Legacy shell, ships with Windows	Only use if nothing else available
PowerShell	Modern shell, ships with Windows	Good, use if you don't want to install anything
Windows Terminal	App from Microsoft Store that hosts PowerShell, cmd, and more in tabs	Recommended

Install Windows Terminal (free, takes 2 minutes):

Open the Microsoft Store
Search for "Windows Terminal"
Click Install

Once open, Windows Terminal starts PowerShell by default. All commands in this guide will work in PowerShell unless marked otherwise.

The mental model: your terminal always has a location

Before any command makes sense, understand this: the terminal is always "inside" a folder on your computer. That current location is called the working directory. Every command you run acts relative to where you currently are.

See where you are — `pwd` / `cd` with no arguments

Mac/Linux:

bash

pwd

Output:

snippet

/Users/yash/Documents

Windows PowerShell:

powershell

cd

Output:

snippet

C:\Users\yash\Documents

pwd stands for "print working directory." It answers the question: where am I right now?

List what's in a folder — `ls` / `dir`

Mac/Linux:

bash

ls

bash

ls -la    # show hidden files and file sizes too

Windows:

powershell

dir

powershell

ls        # PowerShell also accepts ls as an alias for dir

Output (Mac example):

snippet

Desktop    Documents    Downloads    Projects

Move into a folder — `cd`

bash

cd Documents

bash

cd Documents/Projects/my-app    # jump multiple levels at once

bash

cd ..                           # go up one level to the parent folder

bash

cd ../..                        # go up two levels

bash

cd ~                            # jump to your home folder (Mac/Linux)

bash

cd $HOME                        # same thing on Windows PowerShell

Create a folder — `mkdir`

bash

mkdir my-project

bash

mkdir -p my-project/src/components    # create nested folders in one go (Mac/Linux)

Windows PowerShell:

powershell

mkdir my-project
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path "my-project\src\components" -Force

Create an empty file — `touch` / `New-Item`

Mac/Linux:

bash

touch index.html
touch style.css script.js    # create multiple files at once

Windows PowerShell:

powershell

New-Item index.html

Or the old cmd-style trick that still works in PowerShell:

powershell

type nul > index.html

Delete a file or folder — `rm` / `del`

Mac/Linux:

bash

rm old-file.txt
rm -r old-folder          # -r means recursive, needed to delete a folder

Windows PowerShell:

powershell

Remove-Item old-file.txt
Remove-Item old-folder -Recurse

Warning: rm on Mac/Linux does not move to Trash. The file is gone. Double-check before pressing Enter.

Copy a file — `cp` / `Copy-Item`

Mac/Linux:

bash

cp source.txt destination.txt
cp -r source-folder/ destination-folder/    # copy a whole folder

Windows:

powershell

Copy-Item source.txt destination.txt
Copy-Item source-folder -Destination destination-folder -Recurse

Move or rename a file — `mv` / `Move-Item`

Mac/Linux:

bash

mv old-name.txt new-name.txt     # rename
mv file.txt Documents/           # move to a different folder

Windows:

powershell

Move-Item old-name.txt new-name.txt
Move-Item file.txt Documents\

Clear the screen — `clear` / `cls`

Mac/Linux:

bash

clear

Windows:

powershell

cls

Or press Ctrl + L on both platforms.

Two time-saving shortcuts

Tab completion

Start typing a folder or file name and press Tab. The terminal auto-completes it.

bash

cd Doc[TAB]    # completes to: cd Documents

If there are multiple matches, press Tab twice to see them all. Use tab completion constantly — it prevents typos in paths.

Command history

Press the Up arrow key to scroll through previous commands. Press it repeatedly to go further back. Press Down to come forward. When you find the command you want, press Enter.

Running a script or program

Once you've installed a programming language or tool, you run it from the terminal.

Run a Python script:

bash

python3 my_script.py

Run a Node.js file:

bash

node app.js

Run a shell script:

bash

bash setup.sh

The pattern is always: program filename. The terminal finds the program, hands it the file, and shows the output.

Reading error messages

Error messages look scary but they always tell you exactly what's wrong.

Error	What it means	Fix
`command not found: node`	The program isn't installed, or the terminal can't find it	Install the program; restart the terminal
`No such file or directory`	The path you typed doesn't exist	Check spelling; run `ls` to see what's actually there
`Permission denied`	You don't have rights to run or edit this file	On Mac/Linux, prefix with `sudo` (only if you know why)
`Is a directory`	You used a file command on a folder	Add the `-r` flag, or switch to the folder-appropriate command
`ENOENT`	Node.js version of "No such file or directory"	Same fix — check your path

When you see an error, read the last line first. It's usually the clearest statement of what went wrong.

Shell, terminal, bash, zsh, PowerShell — what's the difference?

These words get mixed up constantly. Here's the short version:

Term	What it is
Terminal	The app/window where you type (Terminal.app on Mac, Windows Terminal on Windows)
Shell	The program running inside the terminal that interprets your commands
bash	A shell. Was macOS default until 2019. Still default on most Linux servers
zsh	A shell. macOS default since Catalina (2019). Mostly the same as bash for everyday use
PowerShell	Microsoft's modern shell for Windows. Different syntax from bash/zsh
cmd.exe	Windows legacy shell. Avoid it for new work

The terminal is the window. The shell is the engine inside it.

Hands-on exercise: build a project folder structure

Do this now. Open your terminal and run these commands exactly. By the end you'll have a real folder structure and you'll have used every command in this guide.

bash

# 1. Go to your home folder
cd ~

# 2. Create a projects folder if you don't have one
mkdir projects

# 3. Enter it
cd projects

# 4. Create a new project folder
mkdir my-first-site

# 5. Enter the project
cd my-first-site

# 6. Create the folder structure
mkdir src
mkdir src/css
mkdir src/js
mkdir public

# 7. Create the main files
touch index.html
touch src/css/style.css
touch src/js/app.js

# 8. Confirm it all exists
ls -R

Expected output:

snippet

index.html  public  src

./public:

./src:
css  js

./src/css:
style.css

./src/js:
app.js

Now rename the project:

bash

cd ..                              # go up to projects/
mv my-first-site portfolio-site    # rename the folder
cd portfolio-site                  # go back in
ls                                 # confirm everything is still there

You just built and renamed a project using nothing but the terminal.

Mac vs Windows command reference

Task	Mac / Linux	Windows PowerShell
Where am I?	`pwd`	`cd`
List files	`ls` or `ls -la`	`dir` or `ls`
Change folder	`cd foldername`	`cd foldername`
Go up one level	`cd ..`	`cd ..`
Create folder	`mkdir name`	`mkdir name`
Create file	`touch file.txt`	`New-Item file.txt`
Delete file	`rm file.txt`	`Remove-Item file.txt`
Delete folder	`rm -r folder`	`Remove-Item folder -Recurse`
Copy file	`cp a.txt b.txt`	`Copy-Item a.txt b.txt`
Move/rename	`mv old new`	`Move-Item old new`
Clear screen	`clear` or `Ctrl+L`	`cls` or `Ctrl+L`

What to learn next

The terminal is the foundation. Once you're comfortable here, everything else builds on top:

Git — version control you run entirely from the terminal. See the Git beginner guide.
Node.js — JavaScript on your computer, installed and run through the terminal. See the Node.js beginner guide.
Next.js — React framework you create and run with terminal commands. See the Next.js beginner guide.
Python — same pattern: install it, run scripts with python3 filename.py. See the Python beginner guide.

The terminal feels awkward for about a week. After that it feels faster than any GUI you've ever used.

Watch along as we open the terminal and run every command in this guide.

What is the terminal, and why do developers use it?

The terminal is a text-based interface to your computer. Instead of clicking icons and menus you type instructions and press Enter. The computer executes them immediately.

That sounds slower than clicking, but it isn't once you know the commands. A developer can:

Create 10 nested folders in one command instead of clicking "New Folder" 10 times
Install a library in 3 seconds with npm install instead of hunting through a GUI installer
Run the same sequence of steps every time with no mouse errors
Connect to a remote server that has no screen at all

Everything in modern development — installing Node.js, running Git, starting a Next.js app — happens through the terminal. There is no way around it.

How to open the terminal

macOS

Option 1 — Spotlight (fastest):

Press Cmd + Space
Type Terminal
Press Enter

Option 2 — Finder: Go to Applications → Utilities → Terminal

You'll see a window with a prompt that looks something like this:

snippet

yash@MacBook-Pro ~ %

That % (or $ on older Macs) means the terminal is ready for a command.

Windows

Windows has three options. Here's what each one is:

Tool	What it is	Recommendation
Command Prompt (`cmd.exe`)	Legacy shell, ships with Windows	Only use if nothing else available
PowerShell	Modern shell, ships with Windows	Good, use if you don't want to install anything
Windows Terminal	App from Microsoft Store that hosts PowerShell, cmd, and more in tabs	Recommended

Install Windows Terminal (free, takes 2 minutes):

Open the Microsoft Store
Search for "Windows Terminal"
Click Install

Once open, Windows Terminal starts PowerShell by default. All commands in this guide will work in PowerShell unless marked otherwise.

The mental model: your terminal always has a location

See where you are — `pwd` / `cd` with no arguments

Mac/Linux:

bash

pwd

Output:

snippet

/Users/yash/Documents

Windows PowerShell:

powershell

cd

Output:

snippet

C:\Users\yash\Documents

pwd stands for "print working directory." It answers the question: where am I right now?

List what's in a folder — `ls` / `dir`

Mac/Linux:

bash

ls

bash

ls -la    # show hidden files and file sizes too

Windows:

powershell

dir

powershell

ls        # PowerShell also accepts ls as an alias for dir

Output (Mac example):

snippet

Desktop    Documents    Downloads    Projects

Move into a folder — `cd`

bash

cd Documents

bash

cd Documents/Projects/my-app    # jump multiple levels at once

bash

cd ..                           # go up one level to the parent folder

bash

cd ../..                        # go up two levels

bash

cd ~                            # jump to your home folder (Mac/Linux)

bash

cd $HOME                        # same thing on Windows PowerShell

Create a folder — `mkdir`

bash

mkdir my-project

bash

mkdir -p my-project/src/components    # create nested folders in one go (Mac/Linux)

Windows PowerShell:

powershell

mkdir my-project
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path "my-project\src\components" -Force

Create an empty file — `touch` / `New-Item`

Mac/Linux:

bash

touch index.html
touch style.css script.js    # create multiple files at once

Windows PowerShell:

powershell

New-Item index.html

Or the old cmd-style trick that still works in PowerShell:

powershell

type nul > index.html

Delete a file or folder — `rm` / `del`

Mac/Linux:

bash

rm old-file.txt
rm -r old-folder          # -r means recursive, needed to delete a folder

Windows PowerShell:

powershell

Remove-Item old-file.txt
Remove-Item old-folder -Recurse

Warning: rm on Mac/Linux does not move to Trash. The file is gone. Double-check before pressing Enter.

Copy a file — `cp` / `Copy-Item`

Mac/Linux:

bash

cp source.txt destination.txt
cp -r source-folder/ destination-folder/    # copy a whole folder

Windows:

powershell

Copy-Item source.txt destination.txt
Copy-Item source-folder -Destination destination-folder -Recurse

Move or rename a file — `mv` / `Move-Item`

Mac/Linux:

bash

mv old-name.txt new-name.txt     # rename
mv file.txt Documents/           # move to a different folder

Windows:

powershell

Move-Item old-name.txt new-name.txt
Move-Item file.txt Documents\

Clear the screen — `clear` / `cls`

Mac/Linux:

bash

clear

Windows:

powershell

cls

Or press Ctrl + L on both platforms.

Two time-saving shortcuts

Tab completion

Start typing a folder or file name and press Tab. The terminal auto-completes it.

bash

cd Doc[TAB]    # completes to: cd Documents

If there are multiple matches, press Tab twice to see them all. Use tab completion constantly — it prevents typos in paths.

Command history

Press the Up arrow key to scroll through previous commands. Press it repeatedly to go further back. Press Down to come forward. When you find the command you want, press Enter.

Running a script or program

Once you've installed a programming language or tool, you run it from the terminal.

Run a Python script:

bash

python3 my_script.py

Run a Node.js file:

bash

node app.js

Run a shell script:

bash

bash setup.sh

The pattern is always: program filename. The terminal finds the program, hands it the file, and shows the output.

Reading error messages

Error messages look scary but they always tell you exactly what's wrong.

Error	What it means	Fix
`command not found: node`	The program isn't installed, or the terminal can't find it	Install the program; restart the terminal
`No such file or directory`	The path you typed doesn't exist	Check spelling; run `ls` to see what's actually there
`Permission denied`	You don't have rights to run or edit this file	On Mac/Linux, prefix with `sudo` (only if you know why)
`Is a directory`	You used a file command on a folder	Add the `-r` flag, or switch to the folder-appropriate command
`ENOENT`	Node.js version of "No such file or directory"	Same fix — check your path

When you see an error, read the last line first. It's usually the clearest statement of what went wrong.

Shell, terminal, bash, zsh, PowerShell — what's the difference?

These words get mixed up constantly. Here's the short version:

Term	What it is
Terminal	The app/window where you type (Terminal.app on Mac, Windows Terminal on Windows)
Shell	The program running inside the terminal that interprets your commands
bash	A shell. Was macOS default until 2019. Still default on most Linux servers
zsh	A shell. macOS default since Catalina (2019). Mostly the same as bash for everyday use
PowerShell	Microsoft's modern shell for Windows. Different syntax from bash/zsh
cmd.exe	Windows legacy shell. Avoid it for new work

The terminal is the window. The shell is the engine inside it.

Hands-on exercise: build a project folder structure

Do this now. Open your terminal and run these commands exactly. By the end you'll have a real folder structure and you'll have used every command in this guide.

bash

# 1. Go to your home folder
cd ~

# 2. Create a projects folder if you don't have one
mkdir projects

# 3. Enter it
cd projects

# 4. Create a new project folder
mkdir my-first-site

# 5. Enter the project
cd my-first-site

# 6. Create the folder structure
mkdir src
mkdir src/css
mkdir src/js
mkdir public

# 7. Create the main files
touch index.html
touch src/css/style.css
touch src/js/app.js

# 8. Confirm it all exists
ls -R

Expected output:

snippet

index.html  public  src

./public:

./src:
css  js

./src/css:
style.css

./src/js:
app.js

Now rename the project:

bash

cd ..                              # go up to projects/
mv my-first-site portfolio-site    # rename the folder
cd portfolio-site                  # go back in
ls                                 # confirm everything is still there

You just built and renamed a project using nothing but the terminal.

Mac vs Windows command reference

Task	Mac / Linux	Windows PowerShell
Where am I?	`pwd`	`cd`
List files	`ls` or `ls -la`	`dir` or `ls`
Change folder	`cd foldername`	`cd foldername`
Go up one level	`cd ..`	`cd ..`
Create folder	`mkdir name`	`mkdir name`
Create file	`touch file.txt`	`New-Item file.txt`
Delete file	`rm file.txt`	`Remove-Item file.txt`
Delete folder	`rm -r folder`	`Remove-Item folder -Recurse`
Copy file	`cp a.txt b.txt`	`Copy-Item a.txt b.txt`
Move/rename	`mv old new`	`Move-Item old new`
Clear screen	`clear` or `Ctrl+L`	`cls` or `Ctrl+L`

What to learn next

The terminal is the foundation. Once you're comfortable here, everything else builds on top:

Git — version control you run entirely from the terminal. See the Git beginner guide.
Node.js — JavaScript on your computer, installed and run through the terminal. See the Node.js beginner guide.
Next.js — React framework you create and run with terminal commands. See the Next.js beginner guide.
Python — same pattern: install it, run scripts with python3 filename.py. See the Python beginner guide.

The terminal feels awkward for about a week. After that it feels faster than any GUI you've ever used.

What is the terminal, and why do developers use it?

How to open the terminal

macOS

Windows

The mental model: your terminal always has a location

Core navigation commands

See where you are — pwd / cd with no arguments

List what's in a folder — ls / dir

Move into a folder — cd

Create a folder — mkdir

Create an empty file — touch / New-Item

Delete a file or folder — rm / del

Copy a file — cp / Copy-Item

Move or rename a file — mv / Move-Item

Clear the screen — clear / cls

Two time-saving shortcuts

Tab completion

Command history

Running a script or program

Reading error messages

Shell, terminal, bash, zsh, PowerShell — what's the difference?

Hands-on exercise: build a project folder structure

Mac vs Windows command reference

What to learn next

What is the terminal, and why do developers use it?

How to open the terminal

macOS

Windows

The mental model: your terminal always has a location

Core navigation commands

See where you are — pwd / cd with no arguments

List what's in a folder — ls / dir

Move into a folder — cd

Create a folder — mkdir

Create an empty file — touch / New-Item

Delete a file or folder — rm / del

Copy a file — cp / Copy-Item

Move or rename a file — mv / Move-Item

Clear the screen — clear / cls

Two time-saving shortcuts

Tab completion

Command history

Running a script or program

Reading error messages

Shell, terminal, bash, zsh, PowerShell — what's the difference?

Hands-on exercise: build a project folder structure

Mac vs Windows command reference

What to learn next

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See where you are — `pwd` / `cd` with no arguments

List what's in a folder — `ls` / `dir`

Move into a folder — `cd`

Create a folder — `mkdir`

Create an empty file — `touch` / `New-Item`

Delete a file or folder — `rm` / `del`

Copy a file — `cp` / `Copy-Item`

Move or rename a file — `mv` / `Move-Item`

Clear the screen — `clear` / `cls`

See where you are — `pwd` / `cd` with no arguments

List what's in a folder — `ls` / `dir`

Move into a folder — `cd`

Create a folder — `mkdir`

Create an empty file — `touch` / `New-Item`

Delete a file or folder — `rm` / `del`

Copy a file — `cp` / `Copy-Item`

Move or rename a file — `mv` / `Move-Item`

Clear the screen — `clear` / `cls`