Introduction to Basic Terminal/Bash Commands

If you're new to programming or system administration, you might be intimidated by the command line interface (CLI) and the terminal or bash shell. However, learning a few basic commands can help you navigate and control your computer more efficiently and effectively. In this tutorial, we'll introduce you to some of the most essential terminal/bash commands and show you how to use them with examples. Here are some of the most basic commands you'll need to know:

• pwd: Prints the current working directory (folder). For example, pwd displays the path of the current directory, such as /Users/John/Documents.

• ls: Lists the contents of the current directory (folder). For example, ls /Users/John/Desktop lists the files and folders on John's desktop.

• cd: Changes the current directory to the specified directory. For example, cd /Users/John/Documents changes the current directory to John's Documents folder.

• mkdir: Creates a new directory with the specified name. For example, mkdir my-folder creates a new folder named "my-folder" in the current directory.

• touch: Creates a new empty file with the specified name. For example, touch my-file.txt creates a new file named "my-file.txt" in the current directory.

• rm: Removes (deletes) the specified file or directory. For example, rm my-file.txt deletes the file "my-file.txt" in the current directory. To delete a directory and its contents, use the r (recursive) option, like this: rm -r my-folder.

  These are just a few of the most basic commands you'll need to know. As you become more comfortable with the terminal/bash shell, you'll learn many more commands and options that can help you work more efficiently and automate tasks.

  Learn more: Bash/Terminal commands (opens in a new tab)