Here are some useful commands and examples if you’re not familiar or comfortable with using a terminal (e.g. Git Bash on Windows or Terminal on macOS):

  • cd (change directory): go into another directory (folder).
    • For instance, if you’re currently in /c/Users/GBurdell/Documents, and you type cd CS2110, that will move you into /c/Users/GBurdell/Documents/CS2110.
    • .. refers to the “parent” directory, so I could use cd .. to do the reverse of the above example
    • You can also chain them together (e.g. cd Documents/CS2110) to move through multiple levels at once!
    • Directory names with special characters (including spaces) should be quoted, so it should be cd "Some folder" instead of cd Some folder
  • ls (list): shows you all the files in your current directory.
  • pwd (path to working directory): tells you what directory you’re currently in.

While you are running the Docker container, you will be working with a Linux Terminal. This will ensure that the commands above stay consistent across systems.

Note: Outside of the Docker container, Windows users might find that the above commands don’t work in the Command Prompt. The following are the equivalent for Windows:

  • cd will have the same functionality
  • dir will serve the same purpose as ls
  • echo %cd% will serve the same purpose as pwd

Also, on most terminals you can use the Tab key to autocomplete file or directory names, which can make it much easier and quicker to navigate if you have a lot of long folder names.