What is a Terminal?

Graphical user interfaces (GUIs), allow you to to accomplish daily tasks by interacting with windows and icons, and are helpful for many tasks. However they are not good for all tasks. For many tasks, we are better off entering text commands into the computer directly. We usually do this through terminals.

Computers were supposed to free us from manual labor, but how many times have you performed some task you felt sure the computer should be able to do but you ended up doing the work yourself by tediously working the mouse? Pointing and clicking, pointing and clicking.

Terminals, also known as command lines or consoles, allow us to accomplish and automate tasks on a computer without the use of a graphical user interface. Using a terminal allows us to send simple text commands to our computer to do things like navigate through a directory or copy a file, and form the basis for many more complex automations and programming skills.

If you already have a solid understanding of terminals or are coming here after already attending the workshop feel free to skip ahead to the frequently asked questions and supplementary resources sections.