# Step 1 — Terminal Basics (Ubuntu 24) > **Type along** exactly as shown. This step is written for absolute beginners and assumes no prior Linux experience. > **Estimated time:** ~10–15 minutes --- ## What you’ll learn - What the *terminal* and the *shell* are - How to open and close a terminal - How to find your current shell and username - How to run basic commands safely - How to read the command prompt and use helpful keyboard shortcuts This expands the original brief step (“Open terminal → echo $SHELL → whoami → exit”) into a guided mini-lesson with checks, expected outputs, and troubleshooting. --- ## Prerequisites - Ubuntu 24 (or a similar Linux distribution) - A keyboard and mouse (no admin/sudo needed for this step) - Willingness to try and make small mistakes (that’s normal!) --- ## 1) Open the Terminal You can open the terminal in **three** easy ways — choose the one you like: 1. Press **Ctrl + Alt + T** (keyboard shortcut). 2. Click **Activities** (top-left) → type `terminal` → click **Terminal**. 3. Open **Applications** menu → **Terminal** (or **GNOME Terminal**). **Expected view:** A window with a prompt like: ``` yourname@your-computer:~$ ``` - `yourname` is your **username** (who you are) - `your-computer` is the **hostname** (your machine’s name) - `~` means your **home** directory (e.g., `/home/yourname`) - `$` is the standard prompt for regular users (a `#` indicates the root/admin shell — you won’t use root here) > If your prompt looks a bit different, that’s okay—Linux allows customization. The ideas are the same. --- ## 2) Meet Your Shell The **shell** is a program that reads your commands and runs them. In Ubuntu it’s usually **Bash**. **Find which shell you are using:** ```bash echo $SHELL ``` **Expected output (typical):** ``` /bin/bash ``` - `echo` prints text - `$SHELL` is an **environment variable** that stores the path to your current shell **Alternative cross-check (nice to know):** ```bash ps -p $$ -o comm= ``` - Prints the name of the program running your current shell (`bash`, `zsh`, etc.) > Tip: Commands are **case-sensitive**. `Echo` or `ECHO` won’t work; use `echo` in lowercase. --- ## 3) Who Am I? Where Am I? **Show your login name:** ```bash whoami ``` **Expected output** (your actual username): ``` yourname ``` **Show your current folder (directory):** ```bash pwd ``` **Expected output** (your home): ``` /home/yourname ``` > Remember: `~` is a shortcut for your home directory. `cd ~` and `cd` (with no arguments) both take you home. --- ## 4) Try a Few Safe Commands Type each command and press **Enter**. Don’t worry—these are read-only. ```bash date # shows the current date and time ls # lists files/folders in the current directory ls -la # lists everything in long form, including hidden “dotfiles” clear # clears your screen (or press Ctrl+L) ``` If you want to see *what* a command does: ```bash man ls # the manual for ls (press q to quit) ls --help # quick built-in help for ls help echo # help for bash built-in command "echo" ``` > **How to read errors**: If you see a line like `command not found`, check your spelling and spaces. Linux cares about lowercase vs uppercase. --- ## 5) Keyboard Superpowers (Optional but Very Useful) - **↑ / ↓**: browse history (commands you already typed) - **Tab**: auto-complete file/command names (press twice to list options) - **Ctrl + A**: jump to start of line - **Ctrl + E**: jump to end of line - **Ctrl + U**: clear from cursor *back* to start - **Ctrl + K**: clear from cursor *forward* to end - **Ctrl + W**: delete the previous word - **Ctrl + L**: clear screen (same as `clear`) - **Ctrl + C**: cancel/interrupt a running command (do not use while saving in editors) **Try it:** Type `ec` then press **Tab** — if `echo` is the only match, your shell completes the word for you. --- ## 6) Practice: Your First Echo `echo` prints whatever you give it. Try these: ```bash echo Hello, Linux! echo "Quoting keeps words together like this: two words" echo $HOME # prints your home directory path echo $USER # prints your username (same as whoami) ``` **What happened?** - Without quotes, the shell splits by spaces - With quotes `"..."`, the shell treats the content as one unit - `$` means “expand this variable” (`$HOME`, `$USER`, `$SHELL`, `$PATH` are common ones) --- ## 7) Close the Terminal (Two Safe Ways) 1) Type: ```bash exit ``` 2) Or press **Ctrl + D** (sends “end-of-input”, which ends the shell) If you had any running programs in the foreground, the shell will usually warn you. --- ## Troubleshooting **Q: I typed `WhoAmI` and got “command not found.”** A: Commands are case-sensitive. Type `whoami` (all lowercase). **Q: I see `Permission denied`.** A: You tried to access something you don’t have rights to. In this step, just practice with safe commands (`echo`, `whoami`, `pwd`). **Q: My terminal is “stuck.”** A: A command might still be running. Press **Ctrl + C** to cancel. If that doesn’t work, close the terminal window. **Q: My prompt ends with `#`. Is that bad?** A: That means you’re in a **root** (administrator) shell. Close the terminal and open a new one. For learning, stay as a regular user (`$` prompt). --- ## Quick Quiz (1 minute) - What does `$SHELL` store? - How do you show your username? - What does `~` represent? - Which key shows your previous command? - Two ways to exit the terminal? **Answers** (hover/select to reveal): `$SHELL` is your shell path; `whoami`; `~` = home directory; Up Arrow; `exit` and `Ctrl + D`. --- ## Next Step You’re ready for **Step 2 — Navigation & File Operations**. Keep this terminal open; we’ll continue in the same window.