To get down into the nuts and bolts of the computer, we need to use something called the command line. It’s also called the terminal, bash prompt, shell, or a hundred other weird names. Whenever you’re using it people who walk by notice will be amazed! …and ask if you can change their grades or fix their printer.

Getting to the command line is a little different depending on what operating system you use, though, so bear with me for a moment.

Mac OS X, all versions (Terminal)

OS X is built on top of something called Darwin, which is built on something else called BSD, which is flavor of something you may have heard of called Linux. All of that is really just a boring way of saying “the command line is easy to use and works great in OS X.” Lucky you!

To use the command line (a.k.a. Terminal) in OS X, click the little magnifying glass in the top right-hand corner and type “Terminal.” It should show up, you can click it, and tada! It works.

If it doesn’t show up, you’ll need to open up your Applications folder, then go into Utilities, and finally track down Terminal.

To open the command line on OS X, run the Terminal application.

Windows, all versions (babun)

To get a true-ish command line on Windows, you’ll want to install a piece of software called babun, which will sit on top of Windows and pretend to be a bash shell (a.k.a. the command line). It’s based on some other software called Cygwin that we aren’t going to talk about.

Basically we’re installing an operating system inside of your operatins system.

Babun is fine, but it does have a few issues: cutting and pasting is weird, it sometimes puts files in odd places, and it runs into compatibility issues every now and again. Before we install babun we need to make sure our computer is set up correctly.

How to install babun

First we need to change a setting in Windows to make sure babun installs in the right place. Open up your Start Menu searching thing and search for a program called cmd (it might also be called Command Prompt). Run it and you’ll find yourself looking at a boring black screen.

Copy and paste the following into the prompt, then hit enter:

setx HOME %USERPROFILE%

This tells babun to make its “home” with the rest of your files, instead of off in a strange hidden place. That way it’s easier for you to access your files down the line.

Now you can visit the babun website and install babun. As you start installing, Babun will complain about how you’ve set HOME. Press Y to ignore it and install anyway.

Babun will open up when you’re finished running the install (if it doesn’t, run babun from your Desktop). Once it’s open, type the following and hit enter:

babun shell /bin/bash

And now you’re done.

To open the command line on Windows 7 or 8, run the babun application.

Windows 10 Insider Preview (Windows bash shell) - not recommended

You shouldn’t do this one. And by “shouldn’t” I mean “no really, don’t do it.”

In a big “Anniversary Update” this summer, Windows 10 is going to get a fully-functioning bash shell (a.k.a. command line) built into it. But since it July yet, we need to jump through some hoops to get it installed before it’s released to the general public.

Before making any changes, back up your computer. You do have a backup, right? Right?

Microsoft has a program for versions of Windows called Insider Previews - versions of software you can use before their official release. To install the Anniversary Update before mid-summy, we need to join the Windows Insider program and allow Windows to install Insider Previews.

  1. Join the Windows Insider Program. If you don’t have a Microsoft account, you’ll need to create one. It basically just involves signing into that page and maybe clicking PC.
  2. As you should do with any upgrade, back up all of your files.
  3. If you haven’t hooked your computer up to your Microsoft account yet, you’ll need to do that. Open up Settings under the Start Menu, then go to Accounts > Your Account.
  4. Follow these instructions - open up the Start Menu, then Settings, then Update & Security, then Windows Update, then Advanced Options.
  5. Select Get Started from under the Get Insider Previews section.
  6. Go through with the installation, and reboot the computer.
  7. Open up Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Advanced Options again, then scroll down. Change the slider under Choose your insider level to be in the middle, set to Slow.

The whole time Windows is going to make it sound really scary. I haven’t heard of Insider Previews causing problems with anyone’s computer, and you’re always able to uninstall the Insider Previews, but it’s always good to have a backup!

Oddly, Windows doesn’t automatically update with the new version, you need to sit around until Windows Update “finds” it online. You’ll want to click “Check for updates” in Update & Security every now and again over the next few hours. You can also give up and just click “Check for updates” the next day. It will let you know there’s a new Insider Preview version - probably 14295 - and you’ll tell it to install it and scroll down to Restart Now.

Once you’ve updated, there are a few more steps to turn on the command line.

  1. Open up Settings again, then Update & Security and finally For developers.
  2. Enable Developer Mode
  3. Now you can close Update & Security and open up Control Panel
  4. You’ll want to open up Turn Windows Features On or Off - if it isn’t displayed in the list, use the search bar in the top right to find it.

You’re also able to select an “Insider level” - feel free to leave it at the lowest level, you won’t be missing out on anything.

To open the command line on Windows 10 Insider Preview, run the bash application.