Running Your First Command
The pattern: type, then Enter
Every terminal command follows the same pattern: type the command text, then press Enter (sometimes called "Return") to run it. Nothing happens until you press Enter — you can type, backspace, and fix typos freely before that.
Your very first command: date
Type date and press Enter. You should see today's date and time printed back. This confirms the terminal is reading your input and responding — the exact same loop every command follows, just with different results.
What happens after a command finishes
Once a command finishes running, the terminal shows a new empty "prompt" line (often ending in $ or %) waiting for your next command. If you see this waiting prompt, the previous command is done and it's safe to type again.
Key Takeaways
- Every command follows the same pattern: type the text, then press Enter to run it.
- Nothing executes until you press Enter — feel free to fix typos before that.
- `date` is a simple first command that confirms the terminal is working.
- A fresh prompt line (ending in $ or %) means the previous command finished and you can type again.
Run 3 harmless commands
In your terminal, run `date`, then `whoami`, then `echo hello world` — one at a time, pressing Enter after each. Read what each one prints.