Stage 1 · Lesson 2 of 8
Windows Terminal as your home
A is the window you type commands into, and is Microsoft's modern one. It gives you tabs, split panes, proper support for every language's characters, and a profile for each shell you have, including each WSL system.
Make your profile the default. Then set its starting directory to your Linux , so every new tab opens where your projects live. Keep one idea clear: the terminal is only the window.
The shell inside it is the program that reads your commands, such as Bash in Ubuntu or in Windows. When a command fails, the first question is which shell that tab is running.
Common traptyping Linux commands into a PowerShell tab by mistake and assuming the tutorial is wrong.
A question to check yourself, an AI practice session and 2 cheat sheet entries come when you add the roadmap to your account. Add it
Resources for this stage
Start with· follow one of these
- GuideFreeWindows Subsystem for Linux Documentation
Microsoft · Beginner
Microsoft's own install and best-practice guides for WSL, including where to store files and VS Code set-up
- GuideFreeThe Linux Command Line for Beginners (Ubuntu)
Canonical · Beginner
A short, friendly first hour in the Ubuntu shell once your terminal is working
Keep handy
Also worth your time
- roadmap.sh: LinuxGo deeper
A map of the whole Linux topic, to see how much there is beyond this stage