Windows Terminal and Git Bash
A terminal is the window you type in and a shell is the program that runs your commands, and the bootcamp uses the Git Bash shell inside Windows Terminal.
Novice · Operating System · Software Development · Updated
After this lesson you can
- Explain the difference between a terminal and a shell
- Recognize a Git Bash prompt and a PowerShell prompt
Key takeaways
- A terminal is the window that shows text and takes what you type. A shell is the program inside it that reads your commands and runs them.
- Windows Terminal is a terminal. PowerShell and Git Bash are shells, and each opens in its own tab.
- A PowerShell prompt looks like PS C:\Users\alex>. A Git Bash prompt shows alex@LAPTOP MINGW64 ~ and then a $ on the next line.
- The prompt shows the folder you are in. Copy only the command from a lesson, never the prompt.
- Git Bash runs the same commands as a Mac or Linux terminal, so every lesson's commands work for everyone.
Windows only. A terminal is a window that shows text and takes what you type. A shell is the program inside it that reads your commands and runs them. Think of the terminal as a phone and the shell as the person you are talking to.
Windows Terminal
Windows Terminal is the terminal app that comes with Windows 11. Open it from the Start menu by typing Terminal.
It can run several shells, each in its own tab. The arrow beside the + button lists them. Each entry is called a profile.
Two shells you will meet
| Shell | Prompt looks like | When you use it |
|---|---|---|
| PowerShell | PS C:\Users\alex> |
Built into Windows. You will use it for the first installs, before Git Bash exists on your computer. |
| Git Bash | alex@LAPTOP MINGW64 ~ then $ on the next line |
Installed with Git. You will use it for everything else in the bootcamp. |
The prompt is the text before the cursor. It means the shell is ready for your next command, and it shows the folder you are in. In Git Bash, ~ means your home folder.
Why Git Bash?
Git Bash runs Bash, the same shell used on Linux and very close to the Mac's. Commands such as pwd, ls, cd, mkdir, and touch work in Git Bash exactly as they do on a Mac. So the terminal lessons in this bootcamp, and the scripts that come with your exercises, work the same way on Windows and on a Mac.
PowerShell is a good shell too, but many of its commands are different. To keep things simple, we use one set of commands for everyone.
In Setup: Install Git, Git Bash, and connect to GitHub, you will make Git Bash the profile that opens when you start Windows Terminal.
Running commands from a lesson
When a lesson shows a command in a code block, copy it, paste it at the prompt, and press Enter. Copy only the command, never the prompt.
To paste in Windows Terminal, press Ctrl+V or right-click. To copy text from the terminal, select it and press Ctrl+C. If nothing is selected, Ctrl+C stops the command that is running instead.
Permission prompts
Some installs change settings for the whole computer. Windows then shows a box asking Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device? Click Yes when you started the install yourself.
If your computer is managed by a school or employer, you may not be allowed to approve these prompts. Ask its support team to install the software, or to give you permission.
Check yourself
2 questions to try on the lesson page.
So what
Knowing which shell you are in, and where it is, is the first thing to check whenever a command doesn't do what a lesson says.