M00 - Your Environment - The Workshop Before the Work
Your Environment - The Workshop Before the Work
Set up one working Windows terminal and one working Linux terminal so every later module starts from a stable base.
- Open a working terminal on Windows and Linux, run a few verification commands, and know when your setup is good enough to continue.
Why This Module Exists
A surprising number of learning problems are really setup problems.
People think they are failing at Linux, PowerShell, or operating-system concepts when the real problem is simpler:
- the wrong terminal is open
- Linux is not actually installed yet
- they do not know which environment a command belongs to
- they start customizing instead of getting one clean working baseline
This module fixes that. The goal is not a perfect workstation. The goal is a reliable starting point.
What counts as done
- You can open Windows Terminal.
- You can open Ubuntu in WSL or a Linux VM.
- You can run one verification command in each environment.
- You know which prompt is Windows and which prompt is Linux.
That is enough. Do not spend another hour on themes, fonts, plugins, or terminal cosmetics.
Part 1: Windows - Open One Working Terminal
Windows 11 usually ships with Windows Terminal. It is the easiest place to work because it can host PowerShell, Command Prompt, and WSL tabs in one window.
Open it
Try any one of these:
- Press
Win + Xand choose Terminal. - Search for Terminal in the Start menu.
- Press
Win + R, typewt, and press Enter.
If it opens, you should usually see a PowerShell prompt that looks roughly like this:
PS C:\Users\YourName>
Verify it works
Run this command:
Get-ComputerInfo | Select-Object WindowsProductName, OsVersion
If you get output, the important part is done: your Windows shell is alive and can run commands.
Part 2: Linux - Get One Working Ubuntu Shell
For this course, the easiest Linux starting point on a Windows machine is WSL2. If WSL is unavailable for some reason, a Linux VM is also fine.
Recommended path: WSL2
Open Windows Terminal as Administrator and run:
wsl —install
Then restart if Windows asks.
After restart, Ubuntu should prompt you to create:
- a Linux username
- a Linux password
These are Linux credentials, not your Windows login.
If WSL is not available
Use a Linux virtual machine instead. The only requirement for this course is that you end this module with a working Linux prompt.
Verify Linux works
Inside Ubuntu, run:
lsb_release -a uname -r
If you get output, your Linux environment is ready enough to continue.
Part 3: Learn to Recognize Which Environment You Are In
A beginner mistake is running Linux commands in PowerShell or PowerShell commands in Bash and then assuming the concept is broken.
Use one shared command on both platforms:
whoami
Typical output looks like MACHINE\YourName or domain\YourName.
whoami
Typical output is just your Linux username, such as yourname.
That small difference matters. Same command, different environment, slightly different style of answer.
Part 4: A Minimal Proof Checklist
Run this exact checklist before you leave the module.
whoami Get-Location
whoami pwd
If all four commands work, you are ready for Module 01.
If Something Fails
Use this sequence instead of guessing:
- Confirm which environment you are in.
- Re-run the smallest verification command, not the most complicated one.
- Fix one thing only.
- Stop when the terminal works. Do not keep polishing.
Common beginner mistake
If Linux is not ready yet, do not keep reading later modules “for now.” Finish the setup first. Later lessons assume you can actually type the examples.
Before You Move On
You are ready to continue if you can answer yes to all three:
- Can I open Windows Terminal?
- Can I open a Linux shell?
- Can I prove both with one or two commands?
If yes, move on.
If no, stay here until the environment is stable. That is not wasted time. It prevents confusion later.