use the terminal without being scared of it

STEP BY STEPFrom a black screen to your first chat

1. 01

   Pick your tool

   Both work like a chat: you write what you want and they work with your files. You don't need to code, you write ordinary instructions. The practical difference is the account. If you already pay for Claude Pro, pick Claude Code: it is the tool from videos 1 and 3. If you use ChatGPT, even on the free plan, pick Codex: it is the one from video 2. Choose the one matching the account you already have. You can try the other later.

2. 02

   Install it with its own guide, then check

   For Claude Code: follow steps 1 and 2 of guide #1 (install and sign in). For Codex: use only the install command from step 1 of guide #2, and skip its step 3, which is for a different task. Both guides are linked at the end of this page. To confirm the install worked, open a NEW terminal and type claude --version or codex --version. If a version number appears, you're set.

3. 03

   Open the terminal

   On a Mac, open Terminal (it is in Applications, inside Utilities). On Linux, your usual terminal. On Windows, open PowerShell from the start menu, not the classic CMD. Opening the terminal and looking at it changes nothing. Typing a command and pressing Enter can change things, which is why this guide uses only the commands you see here.

4. 04

   Make a practice folder

   For your first run, don't use your original files. Make a folder called practica on the Desktop: on a Mac you can use the command below; on Windows and Linux, right click, New folder, straight on the Desktop. Copy ten or twenty mixed files into it (photos, PDFs, documents), nothing sensitive or private. If a practica folder already exists, use practica-2. You are working on copies: if something looks wrong, delete the copies and start again. Later you will want a Proyectos folder with one folder per project. For this practice run, the Desktop is fine.

5. 05

   Move into the folder and start the tool

   On Mac or Linux: type cd, add a space, drag the practica folder onto the window and press Enter. On Windows: move into the folder with the command below, or right click the folder and choose Open in Terminal. Check where you are: type pwd (Mac/Linux) or Get-Location (Windows), and the end should say practica. Once inside, type your tool's command. The first time it may open the browser to sign in or show welcome screens, which is normal. Choose to sign in with your account (Sign in with ChatGPT in Codex, your Claude account in Claude Code). When you see the message box waiting, you are in the chat.

6. 06

   Write your first message

   Paste the prompt above (Cmd+V on a Mac, Ctrl+V or right click on Windows, Ctrl+Shift+V in many Linux terminals) and press Enter. Watch what happens: it reads the folder and answers with a table and a proposed order. Nothing should move yet, because the message is written to propose first. Check the table: the file count should match what is in the folder. If it answers in English and you want Spanish, tell it so.

7. 07

   Approve the change: you're in charge

   If you like the plan, reply: do it, without deleting anything. In the mode this guide uses, Claude asks permission before touching files; Codex may or may not, depending on its mode. Before approving, read what it is about to do: everything should stay inside practica and nothing should be deleted. If something doesn't look right, say no and ask it to explain. When it finishes, open the folder and check the result with your own eyes. To leave the tool, type /exit in Claude Code or /quit in Codex.

8. 08

   Take the same cycle to real work

   You have done the full cycle now: propose, approve, check, in a practice folder. The next guides use the same cycle with more at stake: guide #1 works on your real files to free up space, and #2 on financial documents. Follow their review steps exactly as written.

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