Using a terminal

A terminal is a powerful tool that allows you to interact with your computer using text commands. Terminal commands are often the tool of choice for computer experts, as they can be extremely powerful yet precise, eliminating the need to navigate numerous layers of menus within a graphical environment. This guide will help you launch a terminal in the GNOME desktop environment.

Launching a terminal window

1. Open the Activities Overview:

   1. Use your mouse and left-click the Activities button at the top-left corner of the screen, or press the Super key (commonly called the “Windows key” on your keyboard). This action will open the Activities Overview.

2. Search for the terminal:

   1. In the Activities Overview, you will see a search bar near the top center of the screen. Click on it and begin typing “terminal”.

   2. As you type, you should see the Terminal application appear in the search results.

Tip

The terminal icon typically looks like a black screen or a command prompt symbol (often represented by a “>_” or a similar character).

3. Open the terminal:

   1. Click on the Terminal icon in the search results. This action will open a new window displaying a command prompt.

Using a terminal

With a terminal window open, you are now ready to enter commands.

The terminal window will display a prompt where you can type commands and press Enter to execute them.

Closing a terminal

To close the terminal window, you can either:

1. Click the “X” button in the corner of the terminal window.

2. Type the command exit and press Enter.

Tips for using a terminal

• Basic commands: Familiarize yourself with some basic commands, such as ls (to list files) and cd (to change directories).

• Help: If you need assistance with commands, you can often type man <command> (replace <command> with the command you need help with) to access the manual.

• Practice: The more you use the terminal, the more comfortable you will become. Do not hesitate to experiment with different commands.