The Command Prompt (CMD) is a command-line interpreter application available in most Windows operating systems. However, macOS, the operating system for Apple computers, does not use CMD. Instead, it uses a command-line interface called Terminal. Terminal provides a text-based way to interact with the operating system, allowing users to run scripts, execute commands, and manage files. Understanding how to use Terminal is crucial for macOS users who want to leverage the full power of their system.

In this article, we will explore how to run commands via Terminal on macOS, including practical examples to illustrate its usage. This guide will help you transition from CMD on Windows to Terminal on macOS smoothly.

Examples:

1. Navigating Directories:

• In CMD (Windows): cd C:\Users\YourUsername\Documents


• 
  

  In Terminal (macOS): cd /Users/YourUsername/Documents

  
  

  To navigate to the Documents directory in Terminal, you use the cd command followed by the path to the directory.

  
  

  cd /Users/YourUsername/Documents

  
  

2. Listing Files and Directories:

• In CMD (Windows): dir


• 
  

  In Terminal (macOS): ls

  
  

  To list the files and directories in the current directory, use the ls command.

  
  

  ls

  
  

3. Copying Files:

• In CMD (Windows): copy C:\source\file.txt C:\destination\file.txt


• 
  

  In Terminal (macOS): cp /source/file.txt /destination/file.txt

  
  

  To copy a file from one location to another, use the cp command.

  
  

  cp /source/file.txt /destination/file.txt

  
  

4. Moving Files:

• In CMD (Windows): move C:\source\file.txt C:\destination\file.txt


• 
  

  In Terminal (macOS): mv /source/file.txt /destination/file.txt

  
  

  To move a file from one location to another, use the mv command.

  
  

  mv /source/file.txt /destination/file.txt

  
  

5. Deleting Files:

• In CMD (Windows): del C:\path\to\file.txt


• 
  

  In Terminal (macOS): rm /path/to/file.txt

  
  

  To delete a file, use the rm command.

  
  

  rm /path/to/file.txt

  
  

6. Checking Network Configuration:

• In CMD (Windows): ipconfig


• 
  

  In Terminal (macOS): ifconfig

  
  

  To check the network configuration, use the ifconfig command.

  
  

  ifconfig

  
  

7. Editing Text Files:

• In CMD (Windows): notepad C:\path\to\file.txt


• 
  

  In Terminal (macOS): nano /path/to/file.txt

  
  

  To edit a text file, you can use the nano text editor.

  
  

  nano /path/to/file.txt