Clarifying shell navigation using GUI file explorer analogy #292
Description
For people new to the command line, it can help to make it explicit that navigating files in the shell is essentially the same task as navigating files in a graphical file explorer (such as File Explorer or Finder) — just done in the terminal using commands instead of clicking with a mouse.
The lessons already reference GUIs, but in practice I’ve found that making this analogy very direct — for example directories as folders, cd as opening a folder, cd .. as moving up one level, pwd as checking your current location, and ls as listing folder contents — can help beginners realise more quickly that they are still working with the same filesystem, just through a different interface, and help them build a clearer mental model of what is happening when they move around the filesystem in the shell.
I wonder if it might help to include a short optional callout or small figure early in the filesystem navigation material to reinforce this GUI vs shell comparison, especially for people who are completely new to the terminal.
For reference, this is an example from Carpentries-style training material we’ve used locally at Southampton:
https://southampton-rsg-training.github.io/shell-novice/shell-novice-introducing-the-shell#gui-vs-the-shell. Just one possible approach.
Which part of the content does your suggestion apply to?
https://librarycarpentry.github.io/lc-shell/02-navigating-the-filesystem.html