_Terminal

Practise PowerShell and Bash on realistic data, with exercises that mark themselves. Everything runs inside your own browser tab.

A practice terminal for people who learn by typing. Pick a topic, run the command, and press Check my answer — the exercises mark themselves on what your command actually produced, so there is rarely only one right answer.

Nothing here touches a real system. The accounts, printers, services, volumes and event logs are invented, the filesystem exists only in your browser tab, and no command you type is sent anywhere. Break whatever you like — Reset sandbox puts it back.

The Shell Lab: a PowerShell console with an exercise, a hint and the answer being checked

A real console, in your browser

  • PowerShell and Bash, on realistic sample data: services, event logs, users, disks.
  • 61 exercises from your first command to scripting, each marked the moment you run it.
  • Stuck? A hint, then Guide me, which builds the answer one step at a time.
  • Nothing you type leaves your browser. Your progress is saved to your account.

Free for members.

Create a free account

What you will practise

PowerShell 33 exercises

Beginner 10
Meet PowerShell
Where am I? · What can I run? · Ask for help
Finding your way around
List your folder · Look in another folder · Read a file · Move into a folder
Objects and variables
Pick one property · What is on this object? · Keep it in a variable
Intermediate 13
Sorting and selecting
Choose your columns · Top of the list
Filtering the pipeline
Disabled accounts · Two conditions at once · Wildcard matching · Alphabetical names
Files and directories
Create a directory · Copy a file · Rename a directory · Delete a file
Grouping and counting
Largest department · How many are running · Count the shared queues
Advanced 10
System resources
Memory hogs · Volumes running low · Total CPU in use
Event logs
Errors in the System log · Noisiest source · Most recent events · Print problems only
Scripting
Do something with each one · Make a decision · Write your own command

Bash 28 exercises

Beginner 9
Getting started
Where am I? · Who am I? · Say something · What can I run?
Navigating and listing
List your folder · List a directory · Long listing · Read a file · Move into a folder
Intermediate 9
Reading and filtering text
Find matching lines · First few lines · Pick out a column
Files and directories
Create a directory · Copy a file · Rename a directory · Delete a file
Counting and summarising
Count lines · Tally by value
Advanced 10
System resources
Disk space · Memory in use · Biggest memory users
System logs
Errors only · One unit at a time · Count the failures · Kernel messages
Scripting
Store a value · Loop over files · Save output to a file

A mascot that grows as you learn

Finish the Beginner exercises and your mascot hatches; finish Advanced and it becomes a Legend. It shows on your profile, beside your forum posts and on the Top of the Stack board.

Posh the PowerShell gorilla

  1. Posh the PowerShell gorilla: NappingNapping
  2. Posh the PowerShell gorilla: WakingWaking
  3. Posh the PowerShell gorilla: BabyBaby
  4. Posh the PowerShell gorilla: JuniorJunior
  5. Posh the PowerShell gorilla: SilverbackSilverback
  6. Posh the PowerShell gorilla: LegendLegend

Bash the Bash kaiju

  1. Bash the Bash kaiju: EggEgg
  2. Bash the Bash kaiju: CrackingCracking
  3. Bash the Bash kaiju: HatchlingHatchling
  4. Bash the Bash kaiju: JuniorJunior
  5. Bash the Bash kaiju: SeniorSenior
  6. Bash the Bash kaiju: LegendLegend