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Werliton Silva
Werliton Silva

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🪟 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
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🧑 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
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⚠️ 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 aptor brew)

Example: 

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

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