 Web Mechanic

macOS Spoken Here

I work on Apple computers so all the following instructions apply to that OS, but many (if not all) should also work on a Linux computer. Apple computers are based on the Unix OS.

My developing system is an M1 running current Sequoia.

What is Terminal?

These pages will introduce you to something you may have heard about - the Terminal application or the shell.

Terminal is the Apple application that gives you access to commands (the shell) used by the Operating System. It is also known as the console.

Some of these commands are what Finder uses, but it hides them from you, behind a fancy GUI.

The Apple iPad and iPhone DOES NOT have access to the Terminal application.
You will need an iMac, MacBook Pro, or MacBook Air running macOS.

Before going further there are a few things you should know about and be comortable with:

• Access to an Apple desktop computer (iMac), MacBook Pro, or MacBook Air - NOT an iPad
• Comfortable and familiar with basic disk and file organization:
• You know what a directory and path is and how they work
• Open to trying something new
• You would like to DO something productive or useful

If you are already familiar and comfortable with basic computer system operations, and Terminal in particular, follow this link if you want to move on to my bash tutorial.

Otherwise ...

If you've heard about Terminal, you may have decided it sounds too dangerous or complicated. After all, using an iMac is not that complicated, and (relatively) painless. They 'just work', right?

To learn more about Terminal and bash, buckle up and enjoy the ride. I promise it won't hurt much.

However it does have a learning curve with occasional risks.

With great power comes great responsibility

Why use Terminal?

Applications on a computer are there for a reason, so why would you want to use something where you have to type commands on a keyboard, instead of just clicking on an icon, or navigating your system with a mouse?

The answer is that it will give you more control, and a way to do things that are NOT possible just using the mouse or using Finder.

Understanding bash will help you solve problems that you can't do any other way, and be more efficient.

GUI vs Keyboard

The biggest difference between the usual Graphical User Interface (GUI) [gooey] of Finder, and using Terminal is that you will be using the keyboard to actually type commands. Really!
• No mouse
• No touchpad
• No icons or buttons in the active window

Although a GUI can dramatically simplify computer use, in many contexts the most powerful and flexible way to interact with a computer is through the command-line interface (CLI).

If that does not scare you away, congratulations and read on...