MacBook: How do I use Terminal

Pick a password.

Blank passwords are a Bad Idea for a networked system, and bad for at least two reasons.

Change the login password on Mac - Apple Support

Then follow the Homebrew installation instructions.

Have a complete backup before installing Homebrew too, as it can sometimes cause issues.

The terminal user guide is not going to be particularly helpful for the shell itself, and the Apple scripting primer that the terminal manual used to (still does?) references is rather outdated, as the current shell is zsh.

For a quick overview of (older, no longer the default) bash commands and syntax: https://devhints.io/bash

bash reference card: https://www.cheat-sheets.org/saved-copy/bash_ref.pdf

For a quick overview of zsh commands and syntax: https://devhints.io/zsh

zsh reference card: https://www.bash2zsh.com/zsh_refcard/refcard.pdf

I’d suggest spending more time with zsh than with bash, if macOS is your platform. This as Apple is migrating folks from bash to zsh, and as the installed version of bash is very old.

Use zsh as the default shell on your Mac - Apple Support

This is the (old) primer focusing on bash shell scripting available, as well: Introduction

For those with some familiarity with bash now looking at zsh: https://scriptingosx.com/2019/06/moving-to-zsh/

If videos work better for you:

https://academind.com/tutorials/terminal-zsh-basics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogWoUU2DXBU

And some links to other resources:

https://denshub.com/en/free-resources-to-learn-zsh/

ps: macOS is most definitely not Linux, and various Linux shell commands will not work on macOS.

ref: If you’re asked for an administrator name and password on Mac - Apple Support

The password that Terminal is asking for is the same password that you use to log in to your Mac when you start it up. You set that password when you first setup your Mac.

It's your Mac user password, not to be confused with your Apple Account/iCloud password.

<< when it says enter password I just hit return on my keyboard and I'm in >>

setting up "log in automatically" does Not remove your password.

You simply set it up to have it auto-entered for you by MacOS at every login.

You still have a userid and a password, and if you want to deal with Terminal, you will need to use those.

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NB >> Some additional cautions about Terminal:

Terminal is like a box of specialized and VERY sharp tools. There are none of the protections built into macOS protecting you. if you reach blindly into the box without any understanding of what you are grasping, it WILL cut your fingers off.

"MacBook: How do I use Terminal: hello I have never owned a MacBook before and this is my first post: [...]here I'm trying to install home-brew I know you can't see your password when you type it in. I don't know my password how can I find out what's my password. So I can install home-brew"

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Be the Administrator:

If you are signing into your Mac, and are the Administrator, then that's the password to use. If it is not working, then you may need to disable a few things through a command in Terminal --one thing to avoid, if you are unfamiliar with this.

1. Go to: System Settings
2. Click: Users & Groups
3. Scroll Down: (if necessary)
4. Select: your User Name
5. Verify: that Admin is shown below your User Name.

since some procedures change over time, it can be helpful to show the model Mac you own, and the version of MacOS you are running. If not shown in the lists provided, choosing something close can get you more targeted help.

Additional to the other contributions, if you are familiar with the UNIX command-line interface, the Terminal will be familiar once you sort out the Shell choice, its usage, and the fact that macOS is not derived from Linux (all that GNU cruft), but rather BSD UNIX dialects.

If you are not familiar with a UNIX command-line, the Terminal can be a very dangerous place, as some have already discovered by copy/pasting unfamiliar command solutions discovered on the Internet. Do avoid doing that.

Why do you need homebrew?

Here's a good place to start:

Terminal User Guide for Mac - Apple Support

Hi

this might help

Terminal User Guide for Mac - Apple Support