person.dev / first-time terminal

A short guide for opening the Terminal the first time.

You do not need to become a programmer to try bcp. You need to open one text window, often called the command line or console, paste one command, and know how to leave the notes editor when you are done.

Open the Terminal on a Mac

Open Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal. A plain window appears with a cursor. That cursor is where pasted commands go.

Paste the install command from the bcp page, press Return, and wait for the prompt to come back. If macOS asks whether Terminal may access a folder, read the message and choose the option that matches what you are trying to do.

Run bcp

After installation, type bcp and press Return. You can also ask directly for morning or evening readings. 

bcp
bcp readings morning
bcp readings evening

When notes open

Notes open in your configured editor. If you have not chosen one, bcp uses nano, a simple editor in the Terminal with its commands shown at the bottom of the screen.

1

Type normally

The note file is plain text. Move the cursor with the arrow keys and type the words you want to keep.

2

Save

Press Control+O, then press Return to confirm the file name.

3

Leave

Press Control+X. You are back at the Terminal prompt.

Windows

Windows can run command-line tools too, usually through PowerShell or WSL. Those paths are different enough that they need their own guide.

Linux

If you are on Linux, you probably already know where your terminal is. If nano is missing, install it with your system package manager or set VISUAL or EDITOR.