#OPEN TERMINAL UBUNTU ON MAC HOW TO#
#OPEN TERMINAL UBUNTU ON MAC MAC#

And remember if you are using a newer Mac the % is the the same as $ Why learn this now? This tells you to type the command in your terminal, but don’t enter the $. Often guides and instructions for using the terminal will indicate commands by putting the symbol first, like $ whoami. This symbol - called the prompt - indicates that the terminal is waiting for you to enter a command. On Linux and older Macs the line will end with $ and on newer Macs the line will end with %. The window that opens will be mostly blank, with the exception of some text that will vary based on your operating system. Press Cmd + Space to open Spotlight, and search for “Terminal”. You can also use Spotlight search to open Terminal. MacOS: Open your Applications > Utilities folder and find “Terminal”. You can also open the terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T on your keyboard. Linux: Open the programs menu and search for “Terminal”. So don’t let the prospect of using the command line for the first time intimidate you. The commands you will learn in this lesson are very straightforward. You’ll soon see that this isn’t as difficult as you may think.

#OPEN TERMINAL UBUNTU ON MAC HOW TO#

In this introductory lesson to the command line, you’ll learn how to navigate around your computer and how to manipulate files and directories (also known as folders) directly from the comfort of the command line. It has a syntax of its own to learn, but since you’ll be entering the same commands dozens of times, you’ll quickly pick up the commands you need most. The command line is like our base of operations, from which we can launch other programs and interact with them. While there’s no need for you to reenact the scene above, working with the command line is a critical skill for you to learn as a developer. That blank screen or window with a prompt and blinking cursor is the command line interface (CLI), where you’re able to enter commands that your computer will run for you. We have this image of developers staring intently at a black screen with white or green text flashing across as they wildly enter incomprehensible commands to hack into the corporate mainframe (no doubt while guzzling soda and wiping neon orange Cheetos dust off their keyboard). Feeling scared of the command line? You’re not alone.

Open terminal ubuntu on mac