Terminal: Navigation Practice

Using the terminal to navigate around the files and directories in your computer (“file tree”) is an essential skill for a developer. Luckily, it doesn’t take long to learn how to do so effectively!

The below exercise will:

give you hands-on experience with basic terminal commands so you can find your current position in the file tree and zip across your whole system
show how the terminal gives you a different way to access your files by demonstrating the relationship between the commands you type in your terminal and what you visually see in your file explorer

Before you go through this exercise, you should have a basic understanding of:

While you can read the full articles if you wish, the linked sections should be enough to get started if you prefer to learn through practice. As long as you understand these general concepts, you can follow along with the exercise!

Setting up Your Tools

As part of this exercise, we’ll be looking at your terminal and file explorer at the same time. Let’s open both:

Open your terminal program.

You can find instructions in the Terminal Introduction if you need them!

Make sure to use PowerShell and not Command Prompt for this exercise. If you are unable to install or use PowerShell for any reason and you have Git installed, you can also use Git Bash.
Open your file explorer program.

We recommend you arrange your windows so you can see them side by side if possible.

Orienting Yourself: Current Positions

In this section, we’ll show you how the terminal is just a different way to look at and navigate around the same file structure you can see through your day-by-day user interface.

Find your current terminal location.

In your terminal, run the pwd command. This will show you the path to the directory currently open in your terminal. If you haven’t taken other terminal actions, this will likely be the home directory of your user.
Terminal window
```
pwd
```
```
/users/boba-tan
```
A user's home directory traditionally contains personal data that should not be visible by other users. For example, directories like documents/ or desktop/.
This terminal (and the ones below) show sample outputs. What your terminal prints in response to your commands will differ depending on your operating system and directory structure!
Compare this location to your location in the file explorer.

In the file explorer, check the path of the directory you’re looking at. If needed, navigate to the file path printed in the previous step. Once again, this will likely be the home directory of your user.
- Directory/
  - Directoryusers/
    Directoryboba-tan/ <= your current position
    …
List the files at your current terminal position.

In your terminal, run ls. The output should list the same directories and files you’re seeing in your file explorer window.
Terminal window
```
ls
```
```
Blorbos      Coding       Documents
FujoGuide    Manga        WebbedSite
```
By default, the ls command doesn’t show hidden files and directories. If your file explorer is set up to show these special cases, there may be some discrepancies between the two outputs.
You can run ls -a to see hidden files and directories in your terminal.

Creating Directories, Terminal Edition

It’s time to move around (and mess with) your file system. To do this, we’ll create a new directory using the terminal and see it appear in your file explorer.

Use your terminal to create a new directory.

In your terminal, run mkdir "projects" to create a new directory. The new directory should also show up in your file explorer window.
Terminal window
```
mkdir "projects"
```
- Directory/
  Directoryusers/
  Directoryboba-tan/
  Directoryprojects/
  …
  …
As you can see, the quotes are not part of the directory name.
If the name of the directory you’re creating or moving to doesn’t contain special characters, you don’t need to wrap its name in "s.
Since the “space character” ( ) is one of these special characters, many developers don’t use it in their directory names, preferring - or _ instead. For this exercise, we recommend you do the same!
Find the new directory in your file explorer window.

Look at your file explorer window (the one opened at the same position as your terminal) and see if you can spot the directory you just created.

If you cannot find the new directory, you may need to refresh the file explorer window for it to appear. Still not showing up? Head back to the previous section and make sure your terminal and file explorer are at the same directory.

Entering Directories with Your Terminal

Let’s enter the new directory we just created and confirm that everything looks as expected!

Navigate to the new directory in your terminal.

In your terminal, run cd "projects" to navigate into the new directory.
Terminal window
```
cd "projects"
```
This will move your current position to the projects/ directory.
- Directory/
  - Directoryusers/
    Directoryboba-tan/
    Directoryprojects/ <= You are here
    …
Confirm you entered the directory with your terminal.

In your terminal, run pwd to find your current position.
Terminal window
```
pwd
```
```
/users/boba-tan/projects
```
Confirm that the directory is empty.

In your terminal, run ls to show the files and directories at the current position.
Terminal window
```
ls
```
ls should have no output, indicating that the directory you just created is empty.

Creating Directories, File Explorer Edition

Let’s do the reverse exercise: creating a “subdirectory” (inner directory) in your explorer window and witnessing it magically appear in your terminal.

Enter the projects/ directory with your file explorer.

In your file explorer, double-click on your “projects” directory to enter it.
- Directory/
  - Directoryusers/
    Directoryboba-tan/
    Directoryprojects/ <= You are here
    …
Create a new directory with your file explorer.

In your file explorer, create a new directory called “project1”. This will create a new project1 subdirectory inside projects.
- Directory/
  - DirectoryUsers
    Directoryboba-tan/
    Directoryprojects
    Directoryproject1/
    …
See the new directory in the terminal.

In your terminal, run ls. The project1 directory has now appeared!
Terminal window
```
ls
```
```
project1
```

Back up! Exiting a Directory

We know how to enter a directory, but what about going back to a previous one? In this step, we’ll do just that: move one step up, back to our initial starting point.

Remember where you currently are in your terminal.

In your terminal, run pwd to check your current position.
Terminal window
```
pwd
```
```
/users/boba-tan/projects
```
Move your terminal to the containing (parent) directory.

In your terminal, run cd ...
Terminal window
```
cd ..
```
- Directory/
  - DirectoryUsers
    Directoryboba-tan/ <= You are now here
    Directoryprojects/
    Directoryproject1/
    …
    …
The double dot (..) symbol moves you up one directory in the file tree, back to the one that contains the directory you were just in!
Confirm your position.

In your terminal, run pwd and compare it to your previous output. The very last directory in the path should now be missing, indicating you moved one step up in the tree.
Terminal window
```
pwd
```
```
/users/boba-tan
```

Going Deeper, Then Back Home

Let’s jump into the deep end and cross two directories with the same command! After this, we’ll use the “home address” shorthand (~) to go back to our home directory. This way, if you’re ever lost, you’ll always know your way back home.

Enter the project1 directory.

In your terminal, run cd projects/project1.
Terminal window
```
cd projects/project1
```
This will move you from your current directory (/users/boba-tan) to the project1/ directory inside projects/.
- Directory/
  - DirectoryUsers
    Directoryboba-tan/
    Directoryprojects
    Directoryproject1/ <= You are here!
    …
This is equivalent to (but much faster than) running cd projects/ followed by cd project1/.
Confirm your position.

In your terminal, run pwd to confirm you’re in the right place.
Terminal window
```
pwd
```
```
/users/boba-tan/projects/project1
```
Jump back to your home directory.

In your terminal, run cd ~.
Terminal window
```
cd ~
```
This will move you from your current directory (the project1/ directory inside projects/) to your home directory, /users/boba-tan.
- Directory/
  - DirectoryUsers
    Directoryboba-tan/ <= You are here!
    Directoryprojects
    Directoryproject1/
    …
    …
The tilde (~) is a common shorthand that always indicates the path to the home directory of the current user. This means that (cd ~) will always move you back to your home directory regardless of your current position in your directory structure.
Visually confirm your position.

In your terminal, run ls to see a list of the files in your home directory. Navigate to your home directory with your file explorer to confirm the files remain the same—projects directory included!
Terminal window
```
ls
```
```
Blorbos      Coding       Documents
FujoGuide    Manga        projects
WebbedSite
```
In your terminal, run pwd to confirm you’re in your home directory.
Terminal window
```
pwd
```
```
/users/boba-tan
```

Cleaning Up

With this, you’re done! Don’t forget to delete the projects directory. And if you wish to clean up your messy terminal, try running the clear command!

Now that you have the basic tools in hand, you can start using your terminal more regularly. Good luck, and remember: these guides will be here for you any time you need them!