1-commandline

#Lesson 1 - Command Line Basics

Before Class

Daily Objective

Students will be able to use the basic (create, read, update) commands in the terminal.

Key Points

• A terminal is a way to talk to a computer using commands.
• Commands specify the action you want the computer to do for you.
• Folders can contain folders and/or files. Taken in total, this forms a file hierarchy or directory structure.

Assessment

1. Exit Ticket.
2. Students will show progress toward reaching the objective based on their performance on the Exit Ticket.

Vocabulary

• Terminal
• Command
• Path / directory
• Directory structure / hierarchy
• GUI (Graphical User Interface)

References

• Presentation Slides
• http://lifehacker.com/5633909/who-needs-a-mouse-learn-to-use-the-command-line-for-almost-anything

During Class

Do Now

1. Attendance: Teacher takes student attendance.
2. Students are logging into their Cloud 9 account and creating the file structure on slide one of the Presentation Slides.

Opening

Today, we will learn about the command line. This is important because the command line enables us to work in an environment without a graphical user interface (or GUI) . Before we had the fancy interface or GUIs that you are use to seeing, there were just terminals.

What are files? What are folders? How do I view them in Windows? How about Mac? How do I go about copying a file? How about a folder? When I copy a folder, what happens to everything inside of it? How about if I want to rename a file? And delete a file?

When we perform any of the above operations in Windows or Mac, the operating system is translating our actions into command lines. Let's take a deeper look.

Introduction to New Material ("I Do")

Basics

The terminal is a place where we talk to a computer. In the terminal, we issue commands to the computer. These commands are instructions that we would like the computer to do for us. Typically, if the command was executed successfully, the computer will not respond with anything.

The Basics are covered in slides 2-6 of the Presentation Slides.

Directory

When I open Cloud9 and click on Window->New Terminal, I see something like:

Let's focus on the blue text. It says:

/home/ubuntu/workspace

This is the current directory (or path) that I am in. A directory is a way to locate a file or folder. In this case, I am in the "workspace" folder which is inside the "ubuntu" folder which is inside the "home" folder.

Running a Command

I'm going to go back to Cloud9 and type in the command pwd. After this, I press the "Enter" key.

dopeboy@demo:/home/ubuntu/workspace $ pwd
/home/ubuntu/workspace
dopeboy@demo:/home/ubuntu/workspace $ 

This command instructed the computer to print the directory that I am in (which is same thing as the text in green). After it finished printing it out, it made a new line in anticipation of my next command.

List Files and Folders

How do we find all the files and folders in the directory we are in?

dopeboy@demo:/home/ubuntu/workspace $ ls
README.md*  hello-world.html  hello.js
dopeboy@demo:/home/ubuntu/workspace $ 

The ls command lists all the files and folders in the directory that I am in. In my case, I have three files.

Copy a File

How do we copy a file?

dopeboy@demo:/home/ubuntu/workspace $ ls
README.md*  hello-world.html  hello.js
dopeboy@demo:/home/ubuntu/workspace $ cp hello.js duplicate_hello.js
dopeboy@demo:/home/ubuntu/workspace $ ls
README.md*  duplicate_hello.js  hello-world.html  hello.js
dopeboy@demo:/home/ubuntu/workspace $ 

The cp command copies a file. Notice that two filenames were supplied to the command. We can think of these filenames as parameters to the command. In this case, the first parameter is the name of the file we want to copy. The second parameter is what we want the new file to be named.

The second ls command was used to verify that the file was indeed copied.

Notice how the copied file now appears in the file structure on in the top-left of the Cloud9 window. You just created this using the terminal.

Guided Practice ("We Do")

Let's take some time to complete the file directory you created in the Do Now. What we would like to do is take the original file structure on the left and turn it into the file structure on the right. The only catch is you cannot use a mouse. This activity can be found on slide 7 of the Presentation Slides.

Independent Practice ("You Do")

This information can also be found in slide 8 of the Presentation Slides.

Exit Ticket

Give exit ticket.

Closing

Today, you learned about the command line. This is important because the command line lets us talk to the computer in a defined and quick way. Also, the command line has not changed in decades and shows no signs of changing in the future.

###How to Submit This project is not required to be submitted as projects in the past have been. Students may save this workspace in their Cloud9 account.

Homework

There is no homework for this lesson. However, it is at the discretion of the teacher to assign the next lesson for homework if they would like.

After Class

• Check the Exit Tickets.
• Prepare for next lesson / hand off to next volunteer in rotation.