H.2 — Terminal essentials
Status: drafted · Time: 3 min · Audience: everyone Outcome: The twelve commands and four shortcuts that get a new user through White Belt.
Printable card · Companion to W.2 — Terminal fluency. The twelve commands and four shortcuts you actually need.
The twelve commands
Section titled “The twelve commands”| Command | What it does | Most common use |
|---|---|---|
pwd | Prints the current directory path | ”Where am I?” |
ls | Lists files and folders in the current directory | ”What is here?” |
ls -la | Lists everything including hidden files, with sizes and dates | ”What is really here?” |
cd <dir> | Changes into a directory | Navigate down |
cd .. | Goes up one directory level | Navigate up |
cd ~ | Goes to your home directory | Quick reset |
mkdir <name> | Creates a new directory | Start a new project folder |
touch <file> | Creates an empty file | Quick scratch file |
cat <file> | Prints a file’s contents | Quick look at a file |
rm <file> | Deletes a file (no undo) | Clean up; double-check first |
cp <src> <dst> | Copies a file from src to dst | Duplicate before editing |
mv <src> <dst> | Moves or renames | Rename foo to bar: mv foo bar |
The four shortcuts
Section titled “The four shortcuts”| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Tab | Auto-completes file or directory names. Press once for a single match; twice to see all matches. |
| Up arrow | Recalls the previous command. Press repeatedly for older commands. |
| Ctrl + C | Cancels the currently running command. The “make it stop” key. |
| Ctrl + R | Searches your command history. Type a few characters; the shell finds the most recent matching command. |
The mental model
Section titled “The mental model”The terminal is a conversation. You type a command; the shell responds. Unlike a graphical interface, the shell only does exactly what you ask. There is no undo for destructive commands. The four shortcuts above are how you avoid retyping things.
A new user who has the twelve commands and four shortcuts can do most of what White Belt requires. Everything else is built on top.
When to escalate
Section titled “When to escalate”If the terminal prints an error you do not understand, copy the full error and ask in #ai-help. Do not retype the error from memory; the exact wording matters.
If you accidentally delete something with rm, stop typing. Some recovery is possible if you act quickly, especially through the system’s trash mechanism. Reach out in #ai-help before doing anything else.
What this card is not
Section titled “What this card is not”Not a full terminal manual. The shell has hundreds of commands and many advanced features. This card covers what you actually need for White Belt.
Not OS-specific. The commands above work on macOS and Linux. Windows uses different commands; a Windows-specific card would belong here too.
Not a substitute for the chapter. W.2 covers why each command works the way it does, the deeper mental model, and the patterns that compound across the curriculum.
Remember: the twelve commands plus the four shortcuts cover everything you need to ship your first PR.
Up to: ↑ Appendix H · Companion: W.2 — Terminal fluency