Terminal is the macOS application for giving your computer typed commands. It provides a command-line interface (CLI): instead of clicking icons and menus in a graphical user interface (GUI), you type instructions and read text results. It is the starting point for running Ollama, Python, and Streamlit. section 1.5.1 section 1.5
To get started:
- Press Command-Space, type Terminal in Spotlight Search, and press Enter. section 1.6.1
- Look for the prompt. It means the terminal is ready for a command; it is not an AI prompt that understands everyday requests. section 1.5.1
- Try pwd to show your current location, ls to list files and folders, cd to change directories, and mkdir to create a folder. section 1.9
yourname@MacBook-Air ~ %
This sample prompt shows a username, computer name, current location (~, the home directory), and the % prompt symbol. Yours may look different; a $ symbol can indicate the Bash shell instead of Zsh. section 1.5.1
What happens when you run ls?
Type ls and press Enter. Terminal passes your input to the shell, the program running inside its window. The shell searches PATH for the ls program, which lists the current directory’s contents. Terminal displays the result, then shows a fresh prompt. If a command keeps running when you want it to stop, press Ctrl-C. section 1.7.5
