Practice the Windows Command Prompt, safely, in your browser
A pretend C: drive, a real-feeling cmd.exe, and seventeen short chapters of quests. Break anything you like; nothing here touches your computer.
Learn it by doing, one chapter at a time
Each chapter is a few minutes long: two short paragraphs, the commands to try, and quests that tick themselves off as you go.
dir, cd, helpCHAPTER IIWalking the RealmscdCHAPTER IIIConjuringmkdir, echo, dirCHAPTER IVReading Scrollstype, tree, echoCHAPTER VTransmutationcopy, ren, move, delCHAPTER VIScrying the Networkwhoami, ipconfig, pingCHAPTER VIIPortals and Breadcrumbsdir, pushd, popdCHAPTER VIIIHidden Thingsdir, typeCHAPTER IXSeeking Spellsfind, findstr, where, sortCHAPTER XTwin Scrollsecho, fc, compCHAPTER XIChannelingdir, ipconfig, treeCHAPTER XIIChained Incantationsmkdir, cd, echoCHAPTER XIIIRunes of the Realmecho, set, setxCHAPTER XIVDressing the Towerprompt, title, colorCHAPTER XVYour First Spellbook Pagenotepad, typeCHAPTER XVISummoning and Banishingstart, tasklist, taskkill, timeoutCHAPTER XVIIWards and Defensesdir, shutdown, sfcEvery command the shell understands
Each one links to its card in the Command Codex: what it does, its switches, and a practice line.
About the practice shell
Is this a real Command Prompt?
No. It is a simulator that runs in your browser and behaves like Windows cmd.exe: the same commands, the same output, the same error messages. Underneath is a pretend C: drive, so nothing you type can reach your real files.
Can it break my computer?
It cannot. Delete everything, empty your PATH, schedule a shutdown: it all happens inside the sandbox. The reset button puts the sandbox back to how it started.
Which commands does it understand?
About 54 of them: every command taught in Wizard's Guide to the Command Line, including cd, dir, copy, move, del, find, findstr, sort, fc, tasklist, taskkill, set and setx, plus pipes, redirection, && and ||, %VARIABLES% and batch files. Anything else points you to its card in the Command Codex.
Does it save my progress?
Yes, in this browser only. Your files, command history and finished quests are still there when you come back on the same device. Nothing is sent to a server.
Is it free?
Completely. The practice shell and the Command Codex are both free to use. If you would like a printed copy, Wizard's Guide to the Command Line is the book it all comes from.