---
layout: page
category_title: Basic commands
category-page: basic
tags: Open the Shell
author: Gianmarco De Vita
title: Open the Shell
next-page: pages/cmd/basic/ls.html
---
<p>The tool that allows us to interact with the system with the shell is the terminal.
  There are mainly two ways to access to the terminal on a MacOS system.</p>

  <h3>Through the Finder</h3>
<ol>
  <li>Open a new <i>Finder</i> window by clicking on the icon on the system dock.</li>
  <img src="" alt="Open Finder" height="">
  <li>On the menu bar, click on <i>Go</i>.</li>
  <img src="" alt="Click on Go" height="">
  <li>Click on <i>Utilities</i>.</li>
  <img src="" alt="Click on Utilities" height="">
  <li>Look for <i>Terminal</i> and click on it.</li>
  <img src="" alt="Open Terminal" height="">
</ol>
<h3>Through <i>Spotlight</i></h3>
<ol>
  <li>You can use the shortcut <code>cmd+space</code> to access to <i>Spotlight</i>.</li>
  <img src="" alt="Access to Spotlight" height="">
  <li>Then search for <i>Terminal</i>.</li>
  <img src="" alt="Search Terminal" height="">
  <li>Click on the <i>Terminal</i> icon displayed as result.</li>
  <img src="" alt="Open Terminal" height="">
</ol>

<p>As you open the Terminal, a new blank window opens: </p>

<img src="" alt="Terminal Blank Window" height="">

<p> You can notice that the top lines in the window follow this structure:</p>

<pre>
Last login: Day Month  2 hh:mm:ss on console
Device-name:~ username$
</pre>

<p>The tilde (~) just before your username means that the current position in
  which the terminal is working is the Home directory. The gray spot next to
  the symbol $ after your username indicates that you can write instructions
  in that space.</p>

<p>Now, you are ready to try and use some simple commands
to familiarize with this interface.</p>

<p>Notice that you can work simultaneously on multiple sessions of the Terminal.
Just by pushing <code>cmd+T</code>, a new blank window will open without closing the current.</p>