How to Handle Windows

This guide focuses on Unix-like shells (macOS, Linux, and WSL).

If you’re on Windows, you don’t need a completely different mental model—you just need to know how Windows maps onto these Unix concepts.

The honest positioning

This is not a Windows administration guide.

The recommended way to follow along on Windows is to use WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) and run a Linux shell.

That way:

• Commands in this guide work the same on macOS, Linux, and Windows (via WSL)
• You avoid learning two different ecosystems at once

Three main options on Windows

1. WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) — recommended

WSL lets you run a real Linux environment inside Windows.

Characteristics:

• You get a Unix-like shell (bash, zsh, etc.)
• Same commands as this guide
• Access to Linux tools and package managers
• Works well with Git, Python, Node, Docker, and other dev tools

Typical setup:

• Install WSL (e.g., wsl --install from an elevated PowerShell)
• Choose a Linux distribution (Ubuntu is common)
• Open Windows Terminal or a WSL terminal profile

From there, you can follow this entire command line guide almost exactly as if you were on Linux.

2. PowerShell

PowerShell is:

• A modern Windows shell
• Designed around objects, not just plain text
• Very powerful for Windows system administration

However:

• Commands don’t always map 1:1 to Unix commands
• Many online tutorials assume a Unix shell

You can still benefit from the concepts in this guide—programs, arguments, pipes, etc.—but specific commands and examples will differ.

3. Git Bash

Git Bash:

• Comes with Git for Windows
• Provides a lightweight Unix-like shell on top of Windows
• Supports many familiar commands: ls, cd, cp, rm, etc.

It’s a good option for:

• Quick Git workflows
• Simple Unix-like commands

Limitations:

• Not a full Linux environment
• Some tools and packages assume a “real” Linux system

For anything beyond simple workflows, WSL is usually a better long-term choice.

Minimal mapping table

Some basic commands across Unix and Windows PowerShell:

Concept	macOS/Linux (bash/zsh)	Windows (PowerShell)
List files	ls	dir or ls
Change dir	cd	cd
Current dir	pwd	pwd
Remove file	rm	Remove-Item or del

Notes:

• Newer versions of PowerShell include aliases so ls, pwd, and cd work
• Under the hood, many PowerShell commands are doing object-based operations, not plain text

In WSL, you can use the Unix commands directly:

ls
cd
pwd
rm file.txt

Paths: / vs \

On Unix:

• Paths use /:

  /home/user/projects

On traditional Windows:

• Paths use \ and drive letters:

  C:\Users\UserName\Projects

In WSL:

• Your Linux home is something like:

  /home/username

• Windows drives are mounted under /mnt:

  /mnt/c/Users/UserName/Projects

You can work mostly in your Linux home directory in WSL and treat it like any other Unix-like system.

Which should you choose?

For learning and development:

• macOS / Linux → use the default shell (zsh or bash)
• Windows → use WSL with a Linux shell (recommended)

Why WSL:

• Same commands as servers (most servers run Linux)
• Same commands as online tutorials that assume Unix
• Easier to follow along with this guide
• Less mental overhead than juggling PowerShell + Unix simultaneously

Summary

• This guide is Unix-first; Windows is treated as a compatibility layer, not a separate universe.
• On Windows, the best way to follow along is to use WSL and run a Linux shell.
• PowerShell and Git Bash can be useful, but commands won’t always match Unix exactly.
• The core concepts still apply everywhere: shells, programs, arguments, pipes, permissions—the syntax just varies slightly by environment.