Learn the Terminal

Using the Terminal

Understand SSH, command structure, Linux paths and navigation before changing the server.

Guide difficulty⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Beginner Friendly

Estimated time⏱️ Around 20–30 minutes

By the end of this lesson you will understand

The difference between SSH and Linux commands.
How a command is structured.
How paths work.
How to move around the filesystem safely.

SSH and the terminal

SSH is the secure connection from Windows to the Raspberry Pi. The terminal is the text-based interface shown after connecting. Commands such as ls and mkdir are Linux commands, not SSH commands.

How commands are structured

sudo chown -R serveradmin:serveradmin /storage/media

sudo: Use administrator privileges.
chown: Change ownership.
-R: Apply recursively.
serveradmin:serveradmin: Owner and group.
/storage/media: The target path.

Understanding paths

/ is the filesystem root, ~ is the current user's home folder and .. means one folder above. Linux is case-sensitive.

Navigation commands

pwd
ls -lah
cd /storage/media
cd ..
cd ~

pwd shows where you are. ls -lah lists contents, including hidden files, ownership and readable sizes. cd changes folder.

Useful keyboard controls

Tab	Complete a command or path.
Up Arrow	Recall the previous command.
Ctrl+C	Stop the current command.
Ctrl+L	Clear the screen.