Glossary
12 terms from "Terminal basics: files, folders, and commands." Look them up when you get stuck; the first mention in the text carries a hover definition.
| Term | Definition | Source |
|---|---|---|
| terminal | An app that provides a text-based window for running commands through a shell. | support.apple.com |
| shell | A program that reads the commands you type, asks the computer to execute them, and shows the results. | missing.csail.mit.edu |
| prompt | The short line of text that a shell prints when it is ready to receive a command, often ending in `$` or `%`. | documentation.ubuntu.com |
| command | A word or line that you type into the shell and execute by pressing Return. | missing.csail.mit.edu |
| working directory | The folder you are currently in when you run commands in the terminal. | linuxcommand.sourceforge.io |
| absolute path | A path that starts from the root of the file system and describes the full location of a file or folder. | linuxcommand.sourceforge.io |
| relative path | A path that starts from the current working directory rather than the root of the file system. | linuxcommand.sourceforge.io |
| home directory | The default folder for your user account, often abbreviated as `~`. | redhat.com |
| parent directory | The folder that directly contains your current folder, abbreviated as `..`. | redhat.com |
| argument | A word given to a command that tells it what to act on, such as a file name or folder name. | developer.apple.com |
| flag | A special option, usually starting with `-`, that changes how a command behaves. | developer.apple.com |
| manual page | Built-in documentation for a command, opened with `man` and exited with `q`. | missing.csail.mit.edu |