Get a real terminal

Get a real terminal

• The simulator here is perfect for learning the commands safely.
• For real work, you will want a real terminal. Here is how, on each system.

macOS — you already have it

• macOS is built on Unix, so it comes with a terminal.
• Open Spotlight (Cmd-Space), type Terminal, and press Enter.
• The commands in this course work there straight away.

Windows — install WSL

• WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) runs real Linux inside Windows.
• Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:

wsl --install

• Restart, then open Ubuntu from the Start menu. You now have a Linux terminal.

Linux — open the terminal

• You are already on Linux! Press Ctrl-Alt-T, or search for Terminal in your apps.

No install? Use the cloud

• Sites like Replit or a free GitHub Codespace give you a Linux terminal in your browser.
• Try pwd, ls, and whoami first — your new home awaits.