Command Line Tips & Tricks Guide

This page is a friendly cheatsheet to help you feel comfortable using:

• CMD (Command Prompt)
• PowerShell
• Linux terminal inside WSL (Ubuntu)

It focuses on the exact skills you need to follow your server guide: navigating folders, running commands, editing files, and understanding what’s going on.

1. Opening CMD, PowerShell, and Ubuntu

1.1 Open Command Prompt (CMD)

1. Press Windows key.
2. Type cmd.
3. Press Enter.

1.2 Open PowerShell

1. Press Windows key.
2. Type PowerShell.
3. Click Windows PowerShell.
4. To run as admin: right‑click → Run as administrator.

1.3 Open Ubuntu (WSL)

1. Press Windows key.
2. Type Ubuntu.
3. Click the Ubuntu app (e.g. Ubuntu 22.04 LTS).

2. Basic Navigation Concepts

All three environments (CMD, PowerShell, Linux) use the idea of a “current folder” (also called a directory). Commands usually act on the current folder.

2.1 See Where You Are

• CMD: cd
• PowerShell: pwd
• Linux (Ubuntu): pwd

2.2 Change Folder

• CMD: cd C:\Users\YourName
• PowerShell: cd C:\Users\YourName
• Linux: cd /home/youruser

2.3 List Files in Current Folder

• CMD: dir
• PowerShell: ls or Get-ChildItem
• Linux: ls or ls -l

3. Running Commands Safely

3.1 What “sudo” Means (Linux)

In Ubuntu, many system commands start with sudo. It means “run this as an administrator”. Example:

sudo apt update

When you see sudo, Ubuntu may ask for your password. Type it and press Enter (you won’t see the characters as you type — that’s normal).

3.2 Admin vs Non‑Admin in Windows

Some commands (like netsh or editing system settings) require PowerShell “as administrator”. If a command fails with “access denied”, try reopening PowerShell with:

• Right‑click → Run as administrator

4. Creating and Editing Files

4.1 In Windows (Notepad)

1. Open File Explorer (Windows + E).
2. Navigate to the folder (e.g. C:\).
3. Right‑click → New → Text Document.
4. Rename it (e.g. wsl-portproxy.ps1).
5. Right‑click the file → Edit (opens in Notepad).
6. Paste the content → File → Save.

4.2 In Linux (nano editor)

nano is a simple text editor inside the terminal.

4.2.1 Create or Edit a File

1. In Ubuntu, go to the folder:

   cd ~/server/web/public

2. Open a file with nano:

   nano index.php

3. If the file exists, you’ll see its contents. If not, nano will create it when you save.

4.2.2 Basic nano Controls

• Ctrl + O → Write Out (Save)
• Enter → Confirm filename
• Ctrl + X → Exit nano
• Ctrl + K → Cut line
• Ctrl + U → Paste line

5. Copy & Paste in Terminals

5.1 Windows (CMD / PowerShell)

• Copy from terminal: Select text with mouse → right‑click → it copies.
• Paste into terminal: Right‑click where you want to paste.

5.2 Ubuntu (WSL) Terminal

• Copy: Select text with mouse → right‑click → Copy.
• Paste: Right‑click → Paste.

6. Understanding Paths

6.1 Windows Paths

Examples:

• C:\Users\YourName\Documents
• C:\wsl-portproxy.ps1

6.2 Linux Paths

Examples:

• /home/youruser → your home folder
• /home/youruser/server/web/public → your web root

Special shortcuts in Linux:

• ~ → your home folder
• . → current folder
• .. → parent folder

7. Useful Everyday Commands

7.1 Linux (Ubuntu)

• pwd → show current folder
• ls → list files
• ls -l → detailed list
• cd foldername → go into folder
• cd .. → go up one level
• mkdir name → create folder
• rm file → delete file
• sudo systemctl restart nginx → restart Nginx
• sudo systemctl status nginx → check Nginx status

7.2 PowerShell

• pwd → show current folder
• ls → list files
• cd C:\path\to\folder → change folder
• netsh interface portproxy show all → show portproxy rules

8. When Something Fails

8.1 Read the Error Message Slowly

Most errors tell you exactly what’s wrong:

• “Permission denied” → you might need sudo or admin PowerShell.
• “Command not found” → maybe you mistyped or the program isn’t installed.
• “No such file or directory” → check the path and spelling.

8.2 Check Services

• Nginx: sudo systemctl status nginx
• MySQL: sudo systemctl status mysql

8.3 Restart WSL

In PowerShell (admin):

wsl --shutdown

Then reopen Ubuntu from the Start menu.

9. Mental Model: What’s Running Where?

• Windows is the host machine.
• Ubuntu (WSL) is a Linux environment inside Windows.
• Nginx, PHP, MySQL, Node all run inside Ubuntu.
• PowerShell controls Windows settings (like portproxy).

If you remember that, it’s easier to know whether to type a command in Ubuntu or PowerShell.

10. Quick “Which Terminal Do I Use?” Cheat

• Install Linux packages (apt, nginx, mysql, node): Ubuntu
• Edit web files (PHP, Node code): Ubuntu (nano)
• Set up port forwarding (netsh): PowerShell (admin)
• Check Windows firewall: Windows GUI (Firewall app)

Keep this page open while you work through your main server guide. If a step says “run this in Ubuntu”, come back here if you forget how to navigate or edit files.