Terminal (in Applications > Utilities, or Command+Space then Terminal) gives you a command line. The default shell is zsh. You don't need it for daily use, but it makes some jobs much faster.
1Paths and moving around
Your home folder is ~ (/Users/yourname). Absolute paths start with /; relative paths start from where you are. Paths with spaces need quotes or backslashes. Tip: drag a file from the Finder into Terminal to paste its path.
pwd # where am I?
ls -la # list files, including hidden ones
cd ~/Documents
cd .. # up one level
cd "~/My Folder" # wrong: ~ isn't expanded inside quotes
cd ~/"My Folder" # right2Files and folders
mkdir -p ~/Projects/test
cp report.pdf ~/Desktop/
mv old-name.txt new-name.txt
rm file.txt # deletes immediately, no Bin
open . # open this folder in the Finder
open -a TextEdit notes.txt3Your shell configuration and PATH
zsh reads ~/.zprofile for login shells (each new Terminal window) and ~/.zshrc for interactive shells. PATH is the list of folders searched for commands; macOS builds the default from /etc/paths and /etc/paths.d.
echo $PATH
which python3
# add your own folder to PATH, then reload
echo 'export PATH="$HOME/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc4Handy macOS commands
man ls # manual page (q to quit)
mdfind "invoice 2026" # Spotlight search from the shell
pbcopy < notes.txt # copy a file's contents to the clipboard
pbpaste > clip.txt
caffeinate -d # keep the display awake until Control-C
sw_vers # macOS version
softwareupdate --list
du -sh ~/Downloads # how big is a folder?
top -o cpu # what's using the CPU (q to quit)5Using sudo carefully
sudo runs one command as the administrator after asking for your password. Only use it when a command really needs it, and double-check the command first, especially anything with rm. System Integrity Protection stops even sudo from changing core system files.