Terminology used in shell

In the context of a shell, the terms “user,” “host,” and “path” refer to:

1. User: This is the username of the person currently logged into the system. In a shell prompt, it’s often represented before the @ symbol. For example, in john@localhost, john is the user.

2. Host: This is the name of the computer system or server. In the shell prompt, it follows the @ symbol. Using the previous example, localhost is the host.

3. Path: This represents the current working directory in the shell. It tells you where you are in the filesystem. In a prompt like john@localhost:~/Documents, ~/Documents is the path, indicating that the user is currently in the Documents directory inside their home directory (~).

These elements provide useful information at a glance about who’s logged in, what machine they’re on, and where in the file system they are currently located.

What is shell prompt?

• The shell prompt is the indicator that the shell is ready to accept commands.

• It is usually represented by symbols like $, #, or username@host:~/Documents$.

• The prompt appears after the shell has executed a command and is waiting for more input.