Terminal is a Mac application that is for use by advanced users only.
Obviously, an advanced user would know how to start and quit Terminal.
I created the blog for the few times a non-expert uses Terminal. One example is if you are installing HTTrack.
What is Terminal?
Terminal allows you to control your Mac below the level of the GUI.
Proceed with Caution
You can seriously mess up your Mac if you do not know what you are doing in Terminal.
Terminal is for advanced users only. Terminal assumes you are an expert and does not do the “Does the user know what they are doing?” checks the GUI does.
Terminal assumes you are an expert. It will simply not question you, and will obey.
This a very powerful feature, but is a two-edged sword if Terminal is used carelessly.
Why Use Terminal?
If you know what you are doing, Terminal is great, as it allows you to do things you cannot otherwise do.
Most people will never use Terminal.
How to Open Terminal
Terminal is started like every other Mac application. The only tricky part is remembering where to find it.
Terminal is in the Utilities folder. Go to Applications > Utilities, and double click Terminal.app.
Using Terminal
To use Terminal, you enter text commands. How old-fashioned, eh?
Before the command can be executed, you must press the Enter key. Ancient!
Depending on the command, sometimes you will be asked to enter a password. Enter the password you used to log into your Mac.
You will notice I didn’t actually show any Terminal commands. Using Terminal is for advanced users only. I will leave finding the appropriate commands to the advanced user.
How to Quit Terminal
Normally, you quit Terminal like any other Mac application.
Sometimes, Terminal will inform you that some processes are running. Do you want to terminate them? Examine the list Terminal shows, and if there will be no harm if you terminate them, click the Terminate button.
Terminal will quit normally.
