Learn AI · Terminal

The 20 terminal commands, worth knowing cold.

You do not need to be a hacker to use a terminal. Here are the commands that cover 90% of everyday work, plus the AI ones that make it magic.

Navigate & look around

Command	What it does
`pwd`	Print where you are.
`ls` / `dir`	List files (macOS/Linux vs Windows).
`cd <folder>`	Change directory.
`cd ..`	Go up one level.
`clear`	Clean the screen.

Inspect & search files

`cat <file>`	Print a file to screen.
`less <file>`	Page through a file.
`grep "text" <file>`	Search inside a file.
`find . -name "*.md"`	Find files by name pattern.
`wc -l <file>`	Count lines.
`head / tail <file>`	First / last lines.

The real install flow (from ssv.asia/install)

s sv.asia's install page makes it simple — "No setup headaches, no API keys, no jargon. If you can copy and paste one line, you can run frontier, source-cited research from your own computer."

Install Node.js (LTS) — the free tool that powers most modern apps. Windows/macOS download, or nvm on Linux. Already have Node? Skip.
Run the one-liner — npm install -g expert-ai and hit Enter. That is the whole install.
Type x — one letter launches Expert AI from any folder, in any terminal.
Sign in once — the browser opens your free ssv.asia account. Back in the terminal, press 1 for Research and type your first question.

10 free messages to start. No card. Runs inside your existing shell. Pay only when you need more — 6-hour passes over UPI that stack (time + tokens both double).

Prefer a desktop installer? The native installers (Windows 3.7 MB .exe, macOS 3.3 MB .pkg) configure their own private runtime — no Node setup needed.

The AI commands that matter

`expert-ai`	Launch the interactive AI terminal.
`expert-ai --prompt "<ask>"`	Ask once, get an answer, exit.
`expert-ai doctor`	Check your setup is healthy.
`expert-ai status`	See your plan and token pools.
`expert-ai model list`	See switchable models.
`expert-ai deepresearch "<topic>"`	Run a cited research brief.

Every command in the terminal is documented in the CLI command reference. For the concepts behind the words, check the glossary.