Your Linux practice environment

Install a real terminal on Windows, macOS, or Linux. This site never runs commands — you will.

What you will be able to do

Open a Linux-like terminal on your computer
Read a prompt and run four check commands
Create the ~/dcubes/linux-lab folder used in every later lesson

Why this exists

Data Engineering and AI work happens on Linux machines: cloud VMs, Spark workers, Airflow boxes, GPU servers, and containers. A website that ran commands for you would not teach the skill you need. You type. Your machine runs.

This page gets you to a prompt. Do not skip it.

Pick your operating system

Open the section that matches the computer in front of you.

Windows — install WSL2 and Ubuntu

Windows can run a real Linux system next to Windows. That system is WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux). We use Ubuntu inside it. This is the usual on-ramp for data work on a Windows laptop.

If WSL is blocked, or you want a full Ubuntu desktop in a window, use the VirtualBox Ubuntu VM lesson instead, then come back here at Read the prompt.

1. Check that you can install WSL

You need Windows 10 (recent) or Windows 11, and permission to install software. On work laptops, virtualization is sometimes disabled in BIOS — the FAQ below covers that.

2. Install WSL

Click Start, type PowerShell, right-click Windows PowerShell (or Terminal), and choose Run as administrator.
Type this command and press Enter:

wsl --install

Wait until it finishes. Restart the computer if Windows asks you to.

On many machines this installs Ubuntu automatically. If Ubuntu does not appear after reboot, open the Microsoft Store, search for Ubuntu, and install Ubuntu (the one without a version number is fine).

3. First launch

Open Ubuntu from the Start menu. The first launch can take a minute. It will ask you to create a UNIX username and password.

The username is lowercase, no spaces (for example sam).
The password will not show characters as you type. That is normal. Type it twice.

You should see a line that looks something like:

sam@laptop:~$

That is your prompt. You are in Linux now, even though the Windows desktop is still there.

4. Update Ubuntu once

Copy these two lines. Press Enter after each. It will ask for the password you just created.

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

sudo means “do this as an administrator.” apt is Ubuntu’s software installer. You will use both later.

5. How to come back tomorrow

Open the Ubuntu app, or open Windows Terminal and choose the Ubuntu tab. You do not need to reinstall.

macOS — use Terminal (Homebrew comes later)

macOS is not Linux, but it is close enough for this module. You already have a terminal.

Open Spotlight with Command + Space.
Type Terminal and press Enter.
You should see a prompt, often ending in % (zsh) or $ (bash). Either is fine.

Example:

sam@MacBook ~ %

Optional: if you already know you want Homebrew, you can install it later in lesson 12. You do not need it to start.

Linux — you are already there

If you run Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, or similar as your desktop:

Open your terminal app (often Terminal, Konsole, or Ctrl + Alt + T).
Check which system you have:

cat /etc/os-release

Package-install examples in this module use Ubuntu/Debian (apt). If you are on Fedora, swap in dnf when we get to installing software. Everything else is the same.

Read the prompt

A typical prompt looks like:

sam@laptop:~/dcubes/linux-lab$

Piece	Meaning
`sam`	Your user name
`laptop`	The machine name
`~/dcubes/linux-lab`	The folder you are in (`~` means your home folder)
`$`	You are a normal user (root often shows `#`)

On macOS you may see % instead of $. Same idea.

Ready checklist

Run these one at a time. Your output will not match the examples exactly. Names and dates differ. That is success.

whoami

You should see your username.

pwd

pwd means “print working directory.” You should see a path. On WSL and Linux it often starts with /home/. On macOS it often starts with /Users/.

echo hello

The machine should print hello. echo repeats what you give it. Harmless, useful for tests.

uname -a

A one-line description of the system. On WSL it will mention Linux. On macOS it will mention Darwin.

If all four ran without an error like command not found, you have a working terminal.

Create the practice folder

Every later lesson uses this directory. Run:

mkdir -p ~/dcubes/linux-lab
cd ~/dcubes/linux-lab
pwd

mkdir -p creates the folder and any missing parents. cd means “change directory.” pwd should now end in dcubes/linux-lab.

You are done with setup when that path exists.

If something failed

wsl --install errors about virtualization. Restart, enter BIOS/UEFI, and enable virtualization (Intel VT-x or AMD-V). On some laptops this is called SVM.

Windows says WSL is not enabled. In PowerShell as administrator run wsl --install again after a reboot. You can also enable “Windows Subsystem for Linux” under Turn Windows features on or off.

sudo: command not found on macOS. That is unusual. You are probably not in Terminal. Open Terminal.app, not a random text editor.

The password is invisible when I type. That is normal in terminals. Type it and press Enter.

I closed the window and I am lost. Open Ubuntu (Windows) or Terminal (macOS/Linux) again. Run cd ~/dcubes/linux-lab. If the folder is missing, run the mkdir command again.

What is next

Lesson 1 is conceptual: why Linux shows up in Data Engineering and AI. You can read it without the terminal. From lesson 2 onward, keep this window open.