Terminal in Cursor

Welcome back! Today you'll learn how to use the terminal - a text-based console for communicating with your computer.

What is the Terminal?

The terminal (command line, console) is a text-based interface for communicating with your computer. Instead of clicking icons, you type commands.

Why is the terminal important?

• Faster than GUI (graphical interface)
• More powerful - more possibilities
• Automation - scripts and tools
• Essential for working with Next.js, npm, git

Opening the Terminal in Cursor

Method 1: Keyboard shortcut

• Press Cmd+** (Mac) or **Ctrl+ (Windows/Linux)
• The ` character is a backtick, located under the ESC key

Method 2: Menu

• Click Terminal → New Terminal in the top menu

The terminal will open at the bottom of the Cursor screen!

Basic Commands - Must Know

1. pwd - Show where you are

pwd

Output: /Users/user/projects

This shows: "You are in the projects folder"

2. ls - List files

Mac/Linux:

ls

Windows (Git Bash):

ls

Windows (PowerShell):

dir

Output:

pirate.html
ship.js
treasure.css

3. cd - Change directory

cd folder_name

Example:

cd projects

Going up one folder:

cd ..

4. mkdir - Create a folder

mkdir new_folder

Example:

mkdir my_ship

5. touch - Create a file

Mac/Linux:

touch file.html

Windows (PowerShell):

New-Item file.html

Example:

touch index.html

6. clear - Clear the terminal

clear

Or shortcut: Ctrl+L

Practical Example - Creating a Project

Let's create a "Pirate Ship" project using only the terminal:

# 1. Check where you are
pwd

# 2. Create project folder
mkdir pirate_ship

# 3. Enter the folder
cd pirate_ship

# 4. Create HTML file
touch index.html

# 5. Create CSS file
touch style.css

# 6. Check what you created
ls

Output:

index.html
style.css

Congratulations! You just created a project using the terminal!

Node.js and npm - You Need to Know This

When we build Next.js applications, you'll use these commands:

node - Running JavaScript

node --version

Output: v20.10.0 (or another version)

Checks whether you have Node.js installed

npm - Node Package Manager

npm --version

Output: 10.2.3 (or another version)

npm is a package manager - it lets you install libraries and tools

Most important npm commands:

1. Installing packages:

npm install

2. Running a project:

npm run dev

3. Building a project:

npm run build

You'll learn more about this in the next module!

Git - Basics

Git is a version control system - like a diary of changes in your code.

Checking status:

git status

Adding files:

git add .

Commit (saving changes):

git commit -m "Added pirate page"

Push (sending to server):

git push

You'll learn Git in more detail later. For now, just know that it's a tool for saving the history of changes.

Terminal Keyboard Shortcuts ⌨

Pro Tips

1. Autocomplete (Tab)

Instead of typing:

cd pirate_ship_with_red_flag

Type:

cd pir[Tab]

The terminal will autocomplete automatically!

2. Command History (↑)

Instead of typing the same command again, press ↑ a few times to find a previous command.

3. Copy-Paste

• Mac: Cmd+C (copy), Cmd+V (paste)
• Windows: Ctrl+Shift+C (copy), Ctrl+Shift+V (paste) in terminal

4. Multiple terminals

You can have multiple terminals open at once:

• Click "+" in the top right corner of the terminal panel
• Or use Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + `

Common Errors and Solutions

Error: "command not found"

Problem: The command doesn't exist or isn't installed

Solution:

• Check spelling
• Install the tool (e.g., Node.js for node)

Error: "permission denied"

Problem: Insufficient permissions

Solution:

• Mac/Linux: Add sudo before the command (but be careful!)
• Windows: Run the terminal as administrator

Terminal "froze"

Problem: A command is running and you can't type anything new

Solution:

• Press Ctrl+C to interrupt
• Or close the terminal and open a new one

Hands-on Exercise

Run these commands in the Cursor terminal:

# 1. Check Node.js version
node --version

# 2. Check npm version
npm --version

# 3. Check where you are
pwd

# 4. Create a "my_adventures" folder
mkdir my_adventures

# 5. Enter the folder
cd my_adventures

# 6. Create a "journal.html" file
touch journal.html

# 7. See what you created
ls

# 8. Go back up one folder
cd ..

# 9. Clear the terminal
clear

If everything worked - you're ready!

Summary

Terminal is a text-based interface to your computer pwd - where you are ls/dir - what's in the folder cd - change directory mkdir - new folder touch - new file clear - clear screen ↑ - previous command Tab - autocomplete

The terminal may look intimidating, but it's incredibly powerful. Over time it will become your best tool!

In the next modules you'll use the terminal to:

• Create Next.js projects
• Install libraries
• Run applications
• Deploy to Vercel

You're getting closer to becoming a real pirate-programmer!

Captain Redbeard out.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <title>Pirate Terminal</title>
    <style>
        body {
            background-color: #000;
            color: #0f0;
            font-family: 'Courier New', monospace;
            padding: 20px;
        }
        .terminal {
            background-color: #1a1a1a;
            border: 2px solid #0f0;
            padding: 15px;
            border-radius: 5px;
        }
        .command {
            color: #00ff00;
            margin: 10px 0;
        }
        .output {
            color: #ffffff;
            margin-left: 20px;
        }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <h1>Captain Redbeard's Terminal</h1>

    <div class="terminal">
        <div class="command">$ pwd</div>
        <div class="output">/home/captain/ship</div>

        <div class="command">$ ls</div>
        <div class="output">treasure_map.txt  journal.log  compass.json</div>

        <div class="command">$ cat treasure_map.txt</div>
        <div class="output">Treasure buried on island X: 100 steps north of the palm tree!</div>
    </div>

    <p>This is what a real terminal looks like!</p>
</body>
</html>