Dev Basics Lesson 1 of 3

Terminal Basics

What this lesson teaches

The terminal (also called command line or shell) is how you talk directly to your computer. Claude Code runs in the terminal, so you need to be comfortable with the basics.

Why learn the terminal?

GUIs are convenient, but the terminal is more powerful and precise. When working with Claude Code, you'll run commands, navigate directories, and manage files—all through text.

Note: On Mac/Linux, use Terminal. On Windows, use PowerShell or WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux).

Essential navigation commands

Where am I?

pwd

Prints the current directory path (Print Working Directory).

What's here?

ls

Lists files and folders in the current directory. Use ls -la for details including hidden files.

Move to a folder

cd folder-name

Changes directory. Use cd .. to go up one level, cd ~ to go home.

File operations

  • mkdir project — Create a new folder
  • touch file.txt — Create an empty file
  • rm file.txt — Delete a file (careful: no trash!)
  • rm -r folder — Delete a folder and contents
  • cp file.txt copy.txt — Copy a file
  • mv old.txt new.txt — Move or rename a file

Understanding paths

A path is the address of a file or folder.

  • Absolute path: Full address from root — /Users/you/projects/app
  • Relative path: From current location — ./src/index.js or ../config

Tip: Use Tab to autocomplete file and folder names. Saves time and prevents typos.

Key Takeaways

  • pwd, ls, cd — navigate your filesystem
  • mkdir, touch, rm, cp, mv — manage files
  • Understand absolute vs relative paths
  • Tab completion is your friend