Section 1.1: Customizing the Terminal’s Appearance

Let's start by personalizing your Terminal, an essential step since you'll be spending considerable time looking at it. Access the Terminal, navigate to Preferences, and then select Profiles.

In this section, you have several customization options, including:

• Altering the theme
• Adjusting font type and size
• Adding a background image
• Modifying the cursor style
• Setting a new theme as the default

For beginners, I recommend sticking to aesthetic changes rather than altering the shell. Remember to restart the Terminal for any changes to take effect.

Section 1.2: Checking Your Current Directory

Before proceeding with further actions, it's crucial to ascertain your current location within the file system. You can use the pwd command (print working directory) to display your current path. This information is useful for navigation and can be copied for reference.

Next, to examine the contents of your current directory, employ the ls command. This command lists all visible files within the folder. To see hidden files (those starting with a period), use ls -a. You can also use ls -l for a detailed view, which includes information such as the owner, creation date, and file type.

Note: You can combine commands, for instance, ls -al will show a long format of all files, including hidden ones.

Section 1.3: Creating a New Text Document

Once you've surveyed your files, it’s time to create your own. I find the nano command to be the simplest method for launching a text editor similar to Notepad. It's particularly useful for crafting markdown files for an initial git push. Remember to save your markdown files with a .md extension; this method works well for creating .py files too.

Section 1.4: Making a New Directory

Next, let’s create a new directory (essentially a folder) using the mkdir command, which allows you to specify a name for your new folder in the desired location. For example, if you're on your Desktop and type mkdir tests, a new folder named "tests" will appear there.

You can also create multiple directories simultaneously with the command mkdir {file1,file2,file3}, just be cautious not to include spaces unless they are intended for the folder names.

Section 1.5: Navigating Directories

Now, we'll learn how to change directories using the cd command. This command is essential for accessing the newly created directory and locating your newly generated text files.

To return to the home directory, simply use the cd command. To move up one directory level, type cd .., and for going up two levels, you can stack commands like cd ../... You can also specify a full path and use the Tab key for autocompletion.

If you encounter multiple directories with similar starting letters, the Terminal will provide options, allowing you to complete the name.

Section 1.6: Manipulating Files

Finally, let’s explore how to manipulate files. This encompasses moving files to different locations, duplicating them, or deleting them.

Moving Files:

To move a file, use the mv command, formatted as mv filename destination. Ensure you’re in the directory where the file is located.

Copying Files:

To create a duplicate, utilize the cp command with the format cp filename destination, again starting from the original directory.

Deleting Files/Directories:

To delete a file, navigate to its directory and enter rm filename. For multiple files, you can use the curly bracket format. For directories, use rm -r directoryname from the parent directory.

Bonus:

To clear your Terminal screen, type clear or use Command-K.