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Accessing the Command-Line Interface

Getting access to the command-line interface, often called the shell, varies based on your operating system. Usually, you’ll access it through a program called a terminal, short for terminal emulator.

If you’re on a Linux machine with a GUI, you can usually launch its terminal app with Control+Alt+t, or by searching for a Terminal program in your list of programs. When the terminal opens, you’ll see something like this:

brian@puzzles:~$

This is the prompt, and it’s where you’ll enter commands. We’ll explore its meaning shortly.

To access the command-line interface on a Mac, hold down the Command key on your keyboard and press Space. This brings up the Spotlight window. Type terminal into the box and press ...