Meet the Terminal

The terminal (also called command line, console, or shell) is a text-based way to talk to your computer.

**Instead of:** - Clicking icons - Dragging files - Using menus

**You type commands like:** ``` ls (list files) cd Desktop (go to Desktop folder) mkdir new (create a folder called "new") ```

**Why does it exist?** Before mice and graphics, this was the ONLY way to use computers. It stuck around because: - It's faster for many tasks - It can be automated - It's more powerful - Developers use it constantly

**Why you need it:** - Running code (npm, python, etc.) - Using Git - Installing tools - Following most tutorials

**The good news:** You only need to know ~10 commands for 90% of tasks!