Concepts
Operating System (OS)
Software that provides a computer's core functions, including managing hardware, files, and applications.
Popular operating systems include Windows, macOS, and Linux.
System files
Files required by the OS and not intended to be modified by users.
Windows OS
A widely used operating system developed by Microsoft.
macOS
An operating system used on Apple computers.
Linux Distros (OS)
An open-source operating system.
Administrator
A user account with elevated permissions to create, delete, or modify system settings and files.
Command Line
Provides a text-based way to work with the computer.
Terminal
A text window where you type commands to the computer.
Shell
The program inside the terminal that interprets your commands.
Examples include PowerShell on Windows, zsh on macOS, and bash on Linux.
GUI
Graphical user interface, lets you interact with the computer visually, often using a mouse.
Command line interface (CLI)
Lets you work by typing (or pasting) commands rather than clicking.
Folder / directory
A container used to organize files on a computer.
Path
The address of a file or folder.
For example, a path might be C:\Repos on Windows or ~/Repos on macOS and Linux.
Current folder (working directory)
The folder the terminal is "in" right now.
File name
The full name of a file, including its extension.
File extension
The suffix at the end of a file name that indicates the file type.
Examples include doc, xls, md, and html.
Context menu
A menu that appears when right-clicking, or control-clicking, an item.
Windows File Explorer
The graphical interface used to browse files and folders on Windows.
Finder
The graphical interface used to browse files and folders on macOS.
Git
A tool that records project history.
GitHub
A website that stores project repositories online.
Repository (repo)
A folder that Git tracks, including its history.
git clone
Makes the first local copy of a GitHub repository.
git add
Adds files so Git manages them.
git commit
Saves a labeled snapshot of changes to local history.
git push
Sends local commits up to GitHub.
git pull
Brings changes down from GitHub to the computer.