# 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 October 29, 2026

## 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.

## Key terms

- Terminal
- [Shell](https://www.ask-codey.com/glossary/shell)
- Windows Terminal
- [GitBash](https://www.ask-codey.com/glossary/gitbash)
- [Prompt](https://www.ask-codey.com/glossary/prompt-operating-system)

Source: https://www.ask-codey.com/lessons/os-and-terminal-tools-windows-terminal-and-git-bash