The command line
On a Mac, the command line is accessed through the Terminal app (in Windows, it's called Command Prompt.) You will find the Terminal app in the Applications/Utilities/ folder. When you launch it, a Terminal window will appear, like the one in Figure A-1:
Figure A-1. Terminal window
The prompt shows the name of the computer, a colon (:), the current directory (the folder), a space, the current user, a dollar sign ($), a space, and then the prompt symbol (□).
There are several hundred commands that you can run from the Terminal window. To see a list of them all, hold the Esc key down for a second and then press Y, to answer yes to the question. Each time the listing pauses, press the space bar to see the next screen of commands. Press Q to terminate the listing.
Press Ctrl+C to abort the execution of any Terminal command. Use the up and down arrow keys to scroll through the saved list of previously executed commands (to avoid re-typing them).
Try the cal command ...
