Difference between Terminal, Console, Shell, and Command Line

Last Updated : 23 Sep, 2024

Terminal, Console, Shell, and Command line all are ways to give the command to the computer but all these have different functions. A terminal is a text-based interface that is used to type commands or take input and view the output. A console is a type of terminal that is used to interact with operating system programs. Shell is used to interact with the operating system's kernel. It interprets and processes the commands entered by the user. The Command Line is an area where the user enters the commands.

What is a Terminal?

A terminal is a text input and output environment. A terminal window, also known as a terminal emulator, is a text-only window that emulates a console in a graphical user interface (GUI). In other words, a graphical user interface application from which we can access a user's console. A terminal is a program that allows you to run a shell. Is a device with a human-readable display that accepts a stream of characters and displays them. Only the chars are making their way there. They're commonly used in networking and device debug interfaces.

What is a Console?

A console is a physical terminal; an instrument panel containing computer controls. A console is a type of terminal. Is a window in which your text-mode programs are active. This window recognizes key presses and is aware of its width and height. A full-screen mode is an option.

What is a Shell ?

Shell stands for the command-line interpreter. A shell is a program that processes commands and outputs the results. A shell is a layer that sits on top of the kernel: 1) It interprets and processes the commands entered by the user. Unlike users, the shell has access to the kernel. Users can only gain access to the kernel by using a shell and entering commands (i.e. running programs). System calls are used by programs to gain access to kernel functionality. The system API is made up of all system calls.

What is a Command-Line ?

A command line is an area to the right of the command prompt on an all-text display mode computer monitor (typically a CRT or LCD panel) where a user enters commands and data. This is the line where you type commands. It is typically used to indicate that you must run something in the text mode window (command line interface) provided by your operating system.