Database Reference
In-Depth Information
on Mac OS X and Ubuntu, respectively. Ubuntu is a particular distribution of GNU/
Linux, which we'll be assuming throughout the topic.
Figure 1-1. Command line on Mac OS X
The window shown in the two screenshots is called the terminal. This is the program
that enables you to interact with the shell. It is the shell that executes the commands
we type in. (On both Ubuntu and Mac OS X, the default shell is Bash.)
We're not showing the Microsoft Windows command line (also
known as the Command Prompt or PowerShell), because it's funda‐
mentally different and incompatible with the commands presented
in this topic. The good news is that you can install the Data Science
Toolbox on Microsoft Windows, so that you're still able to follow
along. How to install the Data Science Toolbox is explained in
Chapter 2
.
Typing commands is a very different way of interacting with your computer than
through a graphical user interface. If you are mostly used to processing data in, say,
Microsoft Excel, then this approach may seem intimidating at first. Don't be afraid.
Trust us when we say that you'll get used to working at the command line very
quickly.
