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Install Git Bash
Get a real Linux-style terminal on Windows
The 30-second download
- Go to
git-scm.com/downloadsand click the Windows download. - Run the installer with default settings. Just click Next, Next, Next.
- After install, search for "Git Bash" in the Start menu. Pin it to your taskbar.
- Git Bash gives you Linux commands on Windows — the same ones used on every cloud server you'll ever touch.
💡 Why not PowerShell or CMD? Both work, but they use different commands. Linux commands (which Git Bash gives you) are what AWS servers run — and what every tutorial online assumes. Learn it once, use it everywhere.
2
Split your screen
Terminal on one side, Desktop on the other
$
git bash
Win + ←
🖥️
Win + →
Win + ← for terminal, Win + → for desktop
Why this matters
- You'll type commands on the left. The right side shows what happens — files appearing, folders opening.
- Open Git Bash, press Win + ← to snap it to the left half.
- Open File Explorer (Win + E), navigate to your Desktop, press Win + → to snap right.
- Every command you run from now on will have a visible effect on the desktop side.
3
Where am I? pwd
Print Working Directory — your current location
MINGW64 — Git Bash
# Ask the terminal: where am I?
shad@laptop ~
$
$
What just happened
pwdmeans "print working directory" — show me where I am right now.- Output:
/c/Users/Shad— this is your Windows user folder (where Documents, Desktop, Downloads all live). - The
~in the prompt is a shortcut for "your home folder" — same thing as/c/Users/Shad. - When you're lost, type
pwd. It's your "where am I?" button.
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What's here? ls
List — see everything in the current folder
MINGW64 — Git Bash
# Show me what's in this folder
shad@laptop ~
$
$
What just happened
lslists everything in the current folder — same items you'd see in File Explorer.- The blue items with
/are folders. Plain text items are files. - Variations:
ls -l(long format with sizes/dates),ls -a(show hidden files like.gitignore). - Pro:
ls -la= long format + hidden files. The combo you'll use 1000 times.
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Make a folder mkdir
Make Directory — watch the desktop react!
MINGW64 — Git Bash
# Go to Desktop first
shad@laptop ~
$
$
What just happened
- First we navigated to Desktop:
cd ~/Desktop(the~means home). - Then
mkdir my-bootcampcreated a folder called my-bootcamp right on your desktop. - The desktop reacted in real-time — that's because the terminal and File Explorer are looking at the same files.
- Naming tip: avoid spaces. Use
my-bootcampnotmy bootcamp. Saves grief later.
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Step inside cd
Change Directory — and watch the folder zoom open
MINGW64 — Git Bash
# Go into the new folder
shad@laptop ~/Desktop
$
$
←
Desktop > my-bootcamp
This folder is empty.
Items you create will appear here.
Items you create will appear here.
What just happened
cd my-bootcampstepped into the folder. Notice the prompt changed to~/Desktop/my-bootcamp.- The desktop side now shows the inside of the folder — currently empty, ready to fill.
- To go back up one level:
cd ..(two dots = parent folder). - To go all the way home:
cdwith nothing after it, orcd ~.
💡 Tab is your best friend. Type
cd my- then press Tab — the terminal autocompletes my-bootcamp. Saves typos and time.
7
Create files touch
Create empty files — watch them pop into existence
MINGW64 — Git Bash
# Create two files in this folder
shad@laptop ~/Desktop/my-bootcamp
$
$
←
Desktop > my-bootcamp
What just happened
touch notes.txtcreated an empty text file called notes.txt.touch readme.mdcreated an empty markdown file.- Then
lsconfirmed both exist. The desktop side shows them appear in real-time. - To open a file in VS Code instead:
code notes.txt(works after you install VS Code with PATH).
📌 The big idea: the terminal and File Explorer are two views of the same files. Commands on the left, file system on the right. They're inseparable.
8
The lifesaver commands
Shortcuts that save 90% of your typing
MINGW64 — survival kit
# Clear the screen when it's cluttered
$
The shortcuts that save your sanity
- ↑ arrow: recalls the last command. Press again for the one before. Saves retyping long commands.
- Tab key: autocompletes filenames and folder names. Type
cd Doc+ Tab →cd Documents/ - Ctrl+C: stop a running command. Use this when something is stuck or you want to cancel.
clearor Ctrl+L: wipe the terminal clean. No data lost, just a fresh screen.history: shows every command you've run. Useful for "what did I do yesterday?"
🚨 The one command to fear:
rm -rfrm filename deletes a file permanently. It does NOT go to the Recycle Bin. Once gone, it's gone. rm -rf foldername deletes an entire folder + everything inside it. Triple-check before you press Enter — this command has wrecked careers.
💡 The 5 commands you'll use every single day:
pwd, ls, cd, mkdir, touch. Master these and 80% of cloud engineer work becomes natural.
🎯
You speak terminal now
You can navigate, create folders, make files, and use Git Bash like a real engineer. Week 1's labs will feel natural now — every AWS lab uses these same commands.