Programming
A searchable guide to the terminal commands most often used while editing, testing, debugging, and running a web project.
33 matching commands
Navigation
pwd
pwdPrints the absolute path of the folder where the terminal is currently working.
Run it before commands that depend on being inside the project folder.
pwdCheck which folder the terminal is currently in.
Navigation
ls
lsLists files and folders in the current directory.
Use it to confirm expected files such as package.json, src, or next.config.mjs are present.
lsList the files in the current project folder.
Navigation
cd
cd ~/projects/my-web-appMoves the terminal to another folder.
Use it before running project-specific commands such as npm run build.
A command can fail if you are in the wrong folder, even when the command itself is correct.
cd ~/projects/my-web-appMove to the project folder before running commands.
Navigation
clear
clearClears visible terminal output without changing files or command history.
Use it before rerunning a command when the old output is visually noisy.
clearClear the terminal before rerunning the build.
Files and folders
cat
cat package.jsonPrints the contents of a file to the terminal.
Use it for short files such as package.json, config files, or small text files.
For very large files, prefer sed, rg, or a pager instead of printing everything.
cat package.jsonShow the package.json scripts.
Files and folders
sed
sed -n '1,120p' src/components/SiteHeader.tsxCan print a selected range of lines from a file.
Use it to inspect one section of a source file without opening the whole file.
sed -n '1,120p' src/components/SiteHeader.tsxShow the first 120 lines of SiteHeader.tsx.
Files and folders
mkdir
mkdir -p src/app/[locale]/reference/terminal-commandsCreates a new folder. The -p option also creates missing parent folders and avoids failing if the folder already exists.
Use it before adding a new page folder or asset folder.
mkdir -p src/app/[locale]/reference/terminal-commandsCreate the route folder for the terminal commands page.
Files and folders
cp
cp .env.example .env.localCopies a file or folder to another location.
Use it to create local config from an example file or duplicate a template.
If the destination file exists, cp can overwrite it.
cp .env.example .env.localCopy the example env file only if it will not overwrite local settings.
Files and folders
mv
mv old-name.ts new-name.tsMoves a file or folder, or renames it when the destination is in the same folder.
Use it when changing a filename, route folder name, or moving assets.
Renaming route folders changes URLs.
mv old-name.ts new-name.tsRename this file and update imports if needed.
Safety
rm
rm unused-file.tsDeletes files. With -r it can delete folders recursively.
Use it only when a file is intentionally removed from the project.
rm is destructive. Check the path carefully before running it.
rm unused-file.tsBefore deleting this file, explain what will be removed.
Search and inspect
rg
rg -n "errorMessageGuide" srcSearches text quickly across files.
Use it to find imports, components, slugs, CSS classes, or old names before editing.
rg -n "errorMessageGuide" srcSearch where this component is imported.
Search and inspect
rg --files
rg --files src/appLists file paths quickly, respecting common ignore rules.
Use it to find page files, components, and libraries without scanning build output.
rg --files src/appList reference page files under src/app.
Search and inspect
find
find src -name 'page.tsx'Searches the filesystem by path, name, or other file properties.
Use it when searching by filename pattern rather than text content.
find src -name 'page.tsx'Find every page.tsx route file.
Search and inspect
wc
wc -l src/lib/terminal-commands.tsCounts lines, words, or bytes.
Use it to estimate file size or count search results when combined with other commands.
wc -l src/lib/terminal-commands.tsCount how many lines are in this data file.
Packages
npm install
npm installInstalls packages listed in package.json and package-lock.json.
Use it after cloning a project or when dependencies are missing.
It can change package-lock.json if dependency versions resolve differently.
npm installInstall dependencies only if node_modules is missing.
Dev server
npm run dev
npm run devRuns the project's local development server script.
Use it to test pages in the browser while editing.
A running dev server keeps the terminal session busy until stopped.
npm run devStart the dev server and tell me the local URL.
Packages
npm run build
npm run buildRuns the production build script and catches many compile, route, and type problems.
Run it before deployment or after adding new pages.
npm run buildRun the production build and summarize warnings or failures.
Packages
npm run lint
npm run lintRuns the project's lint script to catch style and static code issues.
Run it before build when you want quick feedback.
npm run lintRun lint and show only actionable errors.
Packages
node -v
node -vPrints the installed Node.js version.
Use it when a project or dependency requires a specific Node version.
node -vCheck the Node.js version before explaining this warning.
Packages
npx
npx next infoRuns a command from an installed or temporarily downloaded npm package.
Use it for one-off tooling commands when no package script exists.
npx can download packages from the network if they are not installed.
npx next infoExplain whether this npx command needs network access.
Git
git status
git status --shortShows the current branch and changed, staged, or untracked files.
Run it before edits, commits, pulls, or branch switches.
git status --shortCheck Git status and summarize the changed files.
Git
git diff
git diff -- src/components/SiteHeader.tsxShows line-by-line differences in changed files.
Use it to review exactly what changed before committing.
git diff -- src/components/SiteHeader.tsxReview the diff for this task.
Git
git log
git log --oneline -5Shows commit history.
Use it to see recent work or find a commit to inspect.
git log --oneline -5Show the five most recent commits.
Git
git add
git add src/lib/terminal-commands.tsSelects changes to include in the next commit.
Use explicit paths for focused commits.
git add src/lib/terminal-commands.tsStage only files related to this terminal commands page.
Git
git commit
git commit -m "Add terminal command reference"Records staged changes into Git history.
Use it after reviewing the staged changes.
git commit -m "Add terminal command reference"Commit the staged changes with a clear message.
Dev server
Ctrl+C
Press Ctrl+C in the dev server terminalInterrupts the currently running terminal command.
Use it to stop a local dev server before closing the terminal or changing ports.
Use it in the terminal session where the command is running.
Press Ctrl+C in the dev server terminalStop the running dev server.
Dev server
lsof
lsof -i :3001Can show which process is using a port.
Use it when a dev server fails with EADDRINUSE.
lsof -i :3001Find which process is using port 3001.
Dev server
ps
ps auxShows running processes.
Use it to inspect running development tools, servers, or background processes.
ps auxCheck whether a Next.js dev server is still running.
Safety
kill
kill 12345Sends a signal to stop a process by process ID.
Use it when a server keeps running after normal interruption is not available.
Check the PID carefully so you do not stop the wrong process.
kill 12345Before killing a process, show me what the PID belongs to.
Network
curl
curl -I http://localhost:3001/koSends HTTP requests from the terminal and prints the response.
Use it to check whether a local or deployed URL returns 200, 404, 500, or redirects.
curl -I http://localhost:3001/koUse curl to check whether this page returns 200.
Network
ping
ping 172.30.1.55Checks whether a host responds to basic network packets.
Use it as a rough network reachability check, not as a web app health check.
ping 172.30.1.55Check whether this device can reach the dev machine IP.
Search and inspect
which
which nodeShows which executable file will run for a command name.
Use it when different Node, npm, or tool versions may exist on the machine.
which nodeCheck which node executable is being used.
Safety
chmod
chmod +x script.shChanges read, write, or execute permissions on files.
Use it when a local script should be executable.
Avoid broad permission changes such as chmod -R 777.
chmod +x script.shExplain the safest permission change for this script.