Terminal basics: using Claude Code without a coding background

In this tutorial, I'll show you the handful of terminal commands and shortcuts you actually need to work with Claude Code — no coding background required. What you'll learn: - Navigate folders in the terminal using cd, tab completion, and a few orientation commands - Recall previous commands and edit text faster with keyboard shortcuts - Start Claude Code, find help, resume old conversations, interrupt operations, and exit Get the commands cheat sheet: https://open.substack.com/pub/louiselo/p/terminal-basics-for-non-developers This is part of a series for people who want to use Claude Code but don't come from a technical background. You don't need to learn file manipulation, scripting, or anything else developers use the terminal for — Claude handles all of that. Navigate to your project folder, type `claude`, and let it do the work. Best for: Anyone who wants to try Claude Code but feels intimidated by the terminal, or who tried it and felt lost. ## Chapters 0:00 Introduction 1:23 The terminal explained 1:51 High level overview 2:59 Navigation commands 6:26 Jumping multiple levels (paths and cd -) 8:50 Orienting yourself (ls and pwd) 9:52 Clear and cycle 11:18 Text editing 12:29 Core Claude Code commands 12:57 Getting help (/help) 14:04 Resuming conversations (/resume) 15:31 Interrupting Claude (Escape) 16:22 Exiting Claude Code (Ctrl+C twice) 16:44 You are ready!