Skip to main content

Navigating the Terminal

Lesson Objectives#

After this lesson, students will be able to:

  1. Describe basic aspects of how classes will work
  2. Download and install software necessary for the class
  3. Open Terminal
  4. Describe what a command line interface is
  5. Describe the state of the current directory
  6. Change Directories
  7. List some keyboard shortcuts
  8. Create files and folders
  9. Navigate using relative pathing on the command line
  10. Navigate using absolute pathing on the command line
  11. Run some code

Describe basic aspects of how classes will work#

  • Lesson headers
    • Headers will be posted for all lessons and labs with links to markdowns and the Zoom channel.
  • Markdown
    • Markdown contains reference material related to the lesson
    • Slides from the markdown will be posted into Slack during the lesson
  • Sharing screen
    • The instructor will screenshare for demonstration purposes. Double-click out of fullscreen.
  • Screen real-estate: markdown, zoom, text editor, terminal, slack
    • Command-tab to cycle applications
  • Muting
    • Be muted unless speaking
  • Asking questions
    • Ask away! Either in Slack or out loud
  • Visibility of instructor code
    • Speak up if the instructor's code is not visible (eg. too small).
  • Thumbsups
    • We use the thumbsup 👍 emoji to gauge completeness of exercises. Click on the thumb when you are done with an exercise.

Download and install software necessary for the class#

Open Terminal#

  • ⌘ (Command) + Space, or open Spotlight
  • type "Terminal"
  • Enter

Terminal

  • Keep it locked in your dock. Right click on the icon, highlight options, check "Keep in Dock".

Keep in dock

Terminal Preferences#

You can change the color of your Terminal and the font size. It is recommended to make your Terminal output easier to read, rather than the tiny default output.

Terminal > Preferences > Pro

Describe what a command line interface is#

Terminal provides a Command Line Interface (CLI) to the operating system. With it you can give your computer direct, text-based instructions. It is the most powerful piece of software on your computer! Think of it as the central hub of your development process. For now, we will use it to navigate the files and folders in our computer.

When terminal launches, it will start in your computer's home directory (whatever you named your computer). Your home directory is denoted by the tilde ~.

In Terminal-land, Directories are the same as Folders (we just call them Directories).

Terminal

In Finder, we can also navigate our computer's folders and files: folders contain files and more folders:

Finder

Describe the state of the current directory#

The Command Line understands commands written in the bash scripting language. The commands are abbreviations of English words, or acronyms.

  • pwd - will print the current working directory. It shows you a path. This path shows you where you are currently located in the filesystem. It's like sending up a flare or homing beacon, where you can see how far you have 'traveled' from the root directory.

pwd example

  • ls - Lists the contents of the current directory. You can see
    • the immediate child directories (the directories inside this directory)
    • the files in this directory

ls example

  • Bash commands can take flags denoted by a dash -
    • ls -a - list content including hidden files and directories. Hidden files and directories begin with a period, for example, .git.
    • ls -l - list content and give meta information about each item

Directories (folders) can have directories within them, and there can be directories inside those directories, ad infinitum. This creates a tree structure where directories can have many children with many different branches.

Tree Structure

Change Directories#

We can navigate to other directories relative to the current working directory.

  • cd some_directory
    • navigates into a child directory called some_directory. some_directory is a child of the current directory.
  • cd ..
    • navigates into the parent of the current directory
    • .. is shorthand for parent
  • cd will take you back home

List some keyboard shortcuts#

In the long term, reduce your reliance on the mouse. More Bash keyboard shortcuts:

  • ⌘ K Clear the Terminal window
  • option arrow Move cursor by word
  • letter[TAB]
    • autocompletes (case-sensitive)
  • up ⬆️ / down 🔽 arrow
    • cycle command history

Create files and folders#

  • mkdir
    • makes a directory
    • Example:
      • mkdir directory_name
        • makes a directory called 'directory_name'`
  • touch
    • creates an empty file
    • A file typically will have a file extension like .txt whereas a directory will not.
    • Example:
      • touch file.txt
        • makes a .txt file

Activity (10 min)#

Construct a Labyrinth#

Using what you know about navigating directories and creating files and folders, construct a 'labyrinth' on your desktop.

Precision is important. There are a few layers to this exercise. Be patient.

  • Make sure you are in the correct directory when you go to create another directory or file.

  • Make sure you use touch to make files, and mkdir to make directories. files and directories are two different things.

  • Navigate to Desktop

  • mkdir Labyrinth, cd Labyrinth

  • Make a directory structure like this:

labyrinth

parlor and stairway are child directories of the Labyrinth directory.

sarah_williams.txt is a file inside the the ballroom directory.

If you make a mistake, don't worry, just keep adding the right stuff to the right place.

Navigate using relative pathing on the command line#

Chain more directories to the current path with the / separator

  • Go down the chain into child directories

    • cd parent_directory
    • cd parent_directory/child_directory
    • cd parent_directory/child_directory/grandchild_directory

  • Go up the chain into parent directories

    • cd ..
    • cd ../..
    • cd ../../..

  • Go sideways into a sibling directory by first going up, then down

    • cd ../sibling_directory

  • Go into an aunt or uncle directory by first going up to the parent, then the grandparent, then down again on another branch:

    • cd ../../auntie_directory

Activity#

Navigate the Labyrinth#

  • Navigate to the Labyrinth root directory
  • From the Labyrinth root directory, navigate to the stairway
  • From the stairway, navigate to the parlor
  • From the parlor, navigate to the dining room
  • From the dining room, navigate to the escher room
  • From the escher room, navigate to the Labyrinth root

Actual Activity (10 min)#

Navigate the Labyrinth (Actual)#

For each of these, write your command on one line, using full paths:

  • Navigate to the Labyrinth root directory
  • From the Labyrinth root directory, navigate to the dining_room
  • From the dining room, navigate back up the root directory
  • From the Labyrinth root directory, navigate to the stairway
  • From the stairway, navigate to the parlor
  • From the parlor, navigate to the escher_room
  • From the escher room, navigate to the throne_room
  • From the throne_room, navigate to the ball_room

Navigate using absolute pathing on the command line#

Move anywhere relative to the home directory:

cd ~/ - the path starts in home directory

Example:

  • cd ~/Desktop/Labyrinth/stairway/escher_room

Navigates to the escher room no matter where you are currently located in your filesystem

NOTE: You can combine absolute and relative pathing when copying or moving files from one location to another with cp and mv.

Activity (3 min)#

Navigate the Labyrinth II#

Using absolute pathing:

  • Navigate to the throne_room
  • Navigate to the ballroom
  • Navigate to the parlor

Run some code#

We are going to:

  • make a file
  • open it in our text editor
  • write some code
  • run the code in Terminal

Code Along (5 min)#

Create Files/Directories#

  • In Terminal, navigate to Documents.
  • Make a directory w1d1_student_examples
  • Go inside the directory
  • Make a file first_code.js
  • Open up VSCode through Spotlight or the Dock.
  • Go to VSCode -> Command + Shift + P -> type Shell -> Shell Command : Install code in PATH
    • this allows you to open VSCode using a terminal command
  • Close VSCode
  • From inside the w1d1_student_examples directory, open VSCode from the command line with code . (code space dot)
    • NOTE This might not work on some systems. If not we will get it sorted out in time. For now, Just open the directory from File -> Open, and open the w1d1_student_examples directory.
  • When VSCode opens, you should see the w1d1_student_examples directory and all the files inside the directory (in this case, just the first_code.js file.

Write/Run Code#

  • Check version of Node node -v. You should have a version greater than 8.
  • Let's send a message to the console. It is somewhat of a tradition to write a 'Hello World' message as the first thing you do in programming.
console.log('Hello World!');

Run the code in Terminal

node filename.js => Hello World!

Congrats! You've written your first "Hello World" of SEI!

We can send whatever we want to the console.

console.log('The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain');

More Terminal Keyboard shortcuts#

In the long term, reduce your reliance on the mouse. More Bash keyboard shortcuts:

⌘ K Clear the Terminal window

option arrow Move cursor by word

Ctrl A Go to beginning of line

Ctrl E Go to end of line

Ctrl K Kill line to end

Ctrl U Kill line to beginning

Ctrl Y Paste whatever was killed using Ctrl+K or Ctrl+U

cd - toggle previous directory

There are also video tutorials here