Apps and parx

Beginner's Terminal Guide

What the terminal is, how to open it on Mac, Windows, and Linux, and your first steps with parx.

The terminal is a window where you type commands instead of clicking buttons. parx lives there. You don’t need to know how to code to follow this guide.

1. Open the terminal

Mac

Press ⌘ + Space to open Spotlight.
Type Terminal and press Enter.

Windows

Press the Windows key.
Type PowerShell and press Enter. Terminal also works on Windows 11.

Linux

Press Ctrl + Alt + T on most desktops (Ubuntu, Fedora, Mint), or search for Terminal in your applications.

2. Three commands to move around

Command	What it does
`pwd`	Tells you which folder you’re in. Works on Mac, Linux, and PowerShell.
`ls`	Lists what’s in the folder. On classic Windows cmd it’s `dir`.
`cd name`	Enters a folder. `cd ..` goes up one.

Try:

bash

cd Documents
ls

3. Install Node.js

parx needs Node.js 20 or newer. Check if you already have it:

bash

node --version

If it shows v20 or a higher number, you’re set. If not, download the LTS version from nodejs.org and install it like any program. Then close the terminal and open it again.

4. Log in with your account

When parx is published, the first step will be to connect the terminal with your account:

bash

parx login

A browser opens with a code. Check it matches the one in the terminal and press Approve. More details at parx.

5. Your first task

Go to your project folder and open parx:

bash

cd my-project
parx

Type what you want, in your language:

text

Explain what this project does and which files are important

In starter mode, parx asks your permission before each command and change, and shows you what it will change. Reply 1 for yes or 3 for no.

If something goes wrong

What you see	What to do
`command not found` or “not recognized as a command”	Close and open the terminal. If it continues, Node.js is not installed.
You run out of Actions	parx tells you. Buy a package or upgrade your plan at Actions.
You want to stop what it’s doing	Press Ctrl + C.
You don’t like a change	Type `/deshacer`.

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