A terminal (also called a command line or shell) is a text-based interface for running commands on your computer. You will use it when installing October CMS and occasionally for maintenance tasks like running updates.

Windows

Opening the Terminal

You have a few options:

• Laragon Terminal: If you use Laragon, it includes a built-in terminal that is preconfigured with PHP and Composer. Click the Terminal button in the Laragon window.
• Windows Terminal: Search for "Terminal" in the Start menu. This is the modern terminal app included with Windows 10 and later.
• WSL (Ubuntu): For a Linux-like experience on Windows, install Windows Subsystem for Linux. This gives you a full Ubuntu terminal with native support for PHP, Composer, and DDEV.

Navigating Directories

Most commands run in the context of a directory (folder). Here are the commands you will use most:

Print your current directory:

cd

List files and folders:

dir

Change directory:

cd my-project

Use cd .. to go up one level.

Tip: Press the Up Arrow key to recall previous commands. Press Tab to autocomplete file and folder names.

macOS / Linux

Opening the Terminal

macOS: Open Terminal from Applications → Utilities, or search for "Terminal" in Spotlight.

Linux: Open your distribution's terminal emulator, usually found in the system menu or by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T.

Navigating Directories

Most commands run in the context of a directory (folder). Here are the commands you will use most:

Print your current directory:

pwd

List files and folders:

ls

Change directory:

cd my-project

Use cd .. to go up one level.

Tip: Press the Up Arrow key to recall previous commands. Press Tab to autocomplete file and folder names.

Commands You Will Need

When working with October CMS, you will run commands that start with php artisan and composer. To confirm these are available on your system:

Check PHP version:

php -v

PHP 8.2 or later is required. If the command is not found, download PHP from php.net.

Check Composer:

composer

You should see a list of available commands. If Composer is not found, install it from getcomposer.org.

Once both are available, you are ready to install October CMS.

Next Steps

To set up your code editor, read Choosing a Text Editor for October CMS.