Command Line

Question 1

print work directory

Answer 1

pwd

shows what directory user is currently in.

Question 2

$ means

Answer 2

type what follows into the terminal and hit return

Question 3

list complete (unhidden) contents of current directory

Answer 3

ls

Question 4

create a new folder in current directory

Answer 4

mkdir folderName

Question 5

synonym for folder

Answer 5

directory

Question 6

open a different directory

Answer 6

cd folderName

Question 7

shortcut for home directory

Answer 7

~

Question 8

abbreviation for the parent folder

Answer 8

..

Question 9

to auto-complete in command line applications

Answer 9

press tab

Question 10

agnostic terms for command line applications

Answer 10

“command line interface” or “the shell”

Question 11

create or update a file on a Mac

Answer 11

touch

Question 12

equivalent to “touch” for Linux or Windows

Answer 12

type NUL > filename.filetype

or, for advanced stuff but without the error message:
fsutil file createnew filename.filetype filesize

Question 13

what does BASH stand for?

Answer 13

Bourne Again SHell (Bourne was the name of one of the original programs using the terminal)… means the same thing as CLI

Question 14

copy a file

Answer 14

cp filename.fileytpe newfilename.filetype

Question 15

delete a file

Answer 15

rm filename.filetype

Question 16

delete a folder

Answer 16

rmdir folderName

does not work on Mac if folder has contents

Question 17

delete a folder on a Mac

Answer 17

rm -r

• means “option” and r stands for “recursive.” this will, on a Mac, delete a folder and all its contents

Question 18

why is rm different than just deleting something on the GUI?

Answer 18

rm removes a file or folder and its contents permanently. It does not get sent to a trash folder. It cannot be recovered.

Question 19

what does rm -rf/ do?

Answer 19

it erases an entire hard drive. (rm = remove, r = recursive, f = force)

Question 20

see the last 500 or so things typed inside the terminal on a Mac or GitBash

Answer 20

history

in PowerShell, only shows history since application was last opened

Question 21

show contents of a file on Mac or in GitBash

Answer 21

less filename.filetype

(spacebar to advance through a long file /
q to close ensuing window)

Question 22

show contents of a file in PowerShell

Answer 22

Get-Content (filepath)filename.filetype

shows up on command line rather than opening new terminal window

Question 23

move a file

Answer 23

mv filename.filetype path

Question 24

rename a file

Answer 24

mv filename.filetype newfilename.filetype

Question 25

list all, including hidden files (and folders)

Answer 25

ls -a (a stands for “all”)

Question 26

create a hidden file

Answer 26

touch .filename.filetype

Question 27

abbreviation for current directory

Answer 27

.

Question 28

what does a space mean to the terminal?

Answer 28

it means two separate entities

Question 29

how do I enter a single entity into the terminal with a space in its title?

Answer 29

‘single entity’ (using a string)

Question 30

how do I prevent the terminal from reading a character or space as a command rather than just a character?

Answer 30

\ escapes a character (or in other words, causes the character itself to be represented, rather than its function in the context of the command line).