Posted on Jul 29

🪟 I Love Linux, But I'm Stuck on Windows: Terminal Commands Every Dev Should Know

#webdev #programming #productivity #linux

💡 Yes, I’m a Linux fan too. But sometimes life (or work) throws you into Windows. Don’t panic - we got this.

If you're a developer who misses the terminal magic of Linux, welcome to the club. But here's the thing: Windows Terminal can be powerful too -if you know the right commands.

In this guide, I’ll show you must-know commands for devs at all levels-junior, mid, and senior-so you can survive (and maybe even thrive) in Windows like a boss.

⚙️ Before We Start: Use the Right Terminal

Install and use the Windows Terminal (from the Microsoft Store). It supports tabs, themes (Dracula anyone?), and multiple shells (like PowerShell, CMD, and WSL).

🧒 Junior Dev Commands (Just Getting Started)

Command	What it does
`cd`	Change directory
`dir`	List files (like `ls`)
`cls`	Clear screen (like `clear`)
`echo`	Print stuff to screen
`copy`	Copy files
`del`	Delete files
`mkdir`	Create directories
`rmdir`	Remove directories

Example:

mkdir folder-toy cd folder-toy echo Hello > hello.txt dir

🧑 Mid-Level Dev Commands (Pleno Mode Activated)

Command	What it does
`set`	View/set temporary environment variables (session only)
`setx`	Set persistent environment variables (like for PATH)
`fc`	Compare two files (like `diff`)
`findstr`	Search in files (like `grep`)
`tasklist`	List running processes
`taskkill`	Kill processes by name or PID
`where`	Find the location of executables (like `which`)

Example:

set NODE_ENV=development setx NODE_ENV production fc file1.txt file2.txt findstr "error" logs.txt

⚠️ setlasts only while the terminal is open. Use setxto make it stick forever.

🧙‍♂️ Senior Dev Commands (Power Moves)

Command	What it does
`schtasks`	Schedule tasks (like cron)
`netstat -ano`	Check open ports & PIDs
`powershell`	Run PowerShell scripts from CMD
`reg`	Read/write registry (be careful!)
`wmic`	Query system info (deprecated but still handy)
`curl`, `tar`, `ssh`, `scp`	Yes, they're available on modern Windows!
`choco`	Use Chocolatey package manager (if installed)
`winget`	Install apps from the terminal (like `apt`or `brew`)

Example:

netstat -ano | findstr :3000 schtasks /create /sc daily /tn "MyScript" /tr "C:\scripts\backup.bat" /st 14:00

🧠 Visual Cheat Sheet (Save This!)

📁 Directory Ops cd - Change dir dir - List files mkdir - Make folder rmdir - Delete folder 📄 File Ops echo - Write text copy - Copy file del - Delete file fc - Compare files findstr - Search content 🔧 Env Vars set - Temp env var setx - Persistent var ⚙️ System Ops tasklist - Show processes taskkill - Kill process netstat - Check ports where - Find executable 🚀 Advanced schtasks - Schedule task powershell - Run PS scripts curl/tar/ssh - *Yes, on Windows!* 📦 Package Manager winget - Install apps (like apt/brew)

Final Thoughts

You don’t have to abandon your inner Linux fan just because you're using Windows.
With the right terminal and commands, you’ll feel almost at home again.

So whether you're editing code, debugging ports, or managing environment variables - don’t click around, command it. 🚀