# Common Terminal Commands

The terminal commands you'll use most (pwd, cd, ls, mkdir, touch, cp, mv and rm) for moving around and managing files and folders.

Novice · Operating System · Software Development · Updated October 29, 2026

## After this lesson you can

- Find where you are with pwd and move between folders with cd, using ~, .. and folder names
- Create, copy, move, rename and delete files and folders with mkdir, touch, cp, mv and rm

## Key takeaways

- pwd prints the folder you are in. cd moves you to another one.
- cd ~ goes to your home folder, cd .. goes up one folder, and cd recipes goes into the recipes folder inside this one.
- mkdir makes a folder, touch makes an empty file, cp copies, and mv moves or renames.
- rm deletes for good. There is no Recycle Bin or Trash to get it back from.

These commands work the same in Git Bash on Windows and in the Terminal on a Mac. On Windows, run them in Git Bash, not PowerShell.

Each example shows the command to type in one box, and what it prints in the next. Copy only the command.

## Where am I? pwd

`pwd` (print working directory) prints the full path of the folder you are in:

```bash
pwd
```

```text
/c/Users/alex
```

That is your home folder in Git Bash. On a Mac it prints `/Users/alex`.

## Make a practice folder: mkdir and cd

`mkdir` (make directory) makes a new folder. `cd` (change directory) moves you into it:

```bash
mkdir practice
cd practice
pwd
```

```text
/c/Users/alex/practice
```

You are now inside `practice`. Every command you type runs here until you `cd` somewhere else.

## Make files and folders: touch and ls

`touch` makes a new, empty file. `ls` lists what is here, so you can check:

```bash
mkdir recipes
touch shopping-list.txt
ls
```

```text
recipes/  shopping-list.txt
```

It is common to run `ls` after a command that changes files, to see what happened. On a Mac, `ls` leaves out the `/` after `recipes`.

## Move around: cd

| Command | Where it takes you |
|---|---|
| `cd recipes` | Into the `recipes` folder, which must be inside the folder you are in |
| `cd ..` | Up one folder, to the one that holds this one |
| `cd ../..` | Up two folders |
| `cd ../recipes` | Up one folder, then into `recipes` |
| `cd ~` | Your home folder, from anywhere |
| `cd ~/practice/recipes` | Straight to that folder, starting from your home folder |

`..` always means "the folder above this one", and `~` always means your home folder.

## Copy, move, rename and delete

| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
| `cp shopping-list.txt backup.txt` | Copies `shopping-list.txt` to a new file named `backup.txt` |
| `cp shopping-list.txt recipes/` | Copies `shopping-list.txt` into the `recipes` folder |
| `mv backup.txt old-list.txt` | Renames `backup.txt` to `old-list.txt` |
| `mv old-list.txt recipes/` | Moves `old-list.txt` into the `recipes` folder |
| `rm old-list.txt` | Deletes the file `old-list.txt` |
| `rmdir recipes` | Deletes the folder `recipes`, only if it is empty |
| `rm -r recipes` | Deletes the folder `recipes` and everything inside it |

`mv` does two jobs: give it a new name and it renames; give it a folder and it moves the file there.

**`rm` deletes for good.** It doesn't use the Recycle Bin on Windows or the Trash on a Mac, so there is no undo. Run `ls` first and check the name.

## More ways to list: ls

| Command | What it lists |
|---|---|
| `ls` | The files and folders here, sorted by name |
| `ls -a` | All of them, including hidden ones whose names start with a period, such as `.git` |
| `ls -l` | One per line, with each one's size, date and permissions |
| `ls -al` | All of them, hidden ones too, one per line with the details |

**Try it.** In your `practice` folder, make a folder named `music`, then a file named `playlist.txt` inside it, without leaving `practice`. Hint: `touch music/playlist.txt`. Check with `ls music`, then delete the whole `practice` folder from your home folder with `cd ~` and `rm -r practice`.

## Check yourself

2 questions to try on the lesson page.

## So what

Git, the build tools and the setup steps in this course all run in the terminal, so these few commands are how you get to your project before you run anything else.

## Key terms

- pwd
- cd
- mkdir
- touch
- rm
- mv

Source: https://www.ask-codey.com/lessons/working-with-the-terminal-common-terminal-commands