RevTreeRevTree — GOV.UK / NHS Prototyping Kit

#7

Terminal basics

Setup and Deployment · Working

What is this skill?

Terminal basics involves understanding how to use the command line interface to navigate folders, run commands, and interact with the prototype kit. This is essential for starting, stopping, and managing your prototype.

Why is it important?

Run the kit – The terminal is how you start and stop your prototype
Install dependencies – NPM commands are run through the terminal
Navigate your project – Move between folders and find files quickly
Debug issues – Error messages appear in the terminal, helping you diagnose problems

Where to learn more

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Follow the recommended traversal order.

← Prev: Introduction to Git and GitHub Next: Running the kit locally →

Learning units

Exercises/pages that teach this skill.

Git mental model (for prototyping)
Understand commits, branches, remotes, and how GitHub fits in.
Improve coding skills (Terminal, VS Code, workflow)
Set up a reliable workflow and learn the minimal terminal/editor skills needed for prototyping.
Install and run a prototype kit project
Clone a kit repo, install dependencies, and start the dev server.
Publish and collaborate with GitHub Desktop
Use GitHub Desktop to commit, push, and open a PR without living in the terminal.
Set up a productive prototyping workstation
Optimise your screen, tools, and folder layout so you spend time designing — not wrestling your setup.
Set up your prototyping toolchain (Mac)
Install the minimum tools (Terminal, VS Code, Node, Git) so you can run a prototype kit locally.
Share your prototype on your local network
Let someone else on the same Wi‑Fi open your in-progress prototype.
Terminal minimum for running Prototype Kit projects
Learn the small set of terminal commands you need to install dependencies, run the kit, and read errors.

skill id: terminal-basics