komentokehotteeseen

Komentokehotteeseen is the Finnish phrase for entering or accessing the command prompt, the text-based interface that allows users to interact with the operating system by typing commands. The term is derived from komento (command) and kehotus (prompt), with the suffix -seen indicating motion into the prompt. In practice, it refers to the act of launching a shell or console window such as Windows Command Prompt, PowerShell, macOS Terminal, or Linux shells like Bash.

Historically, command prompts were the primary way to control early operating systems, starting with DOS in the 1980s. The interface displays a prompt—typically a line that ends with a character such as >, $, %, or PS1—and waits for user input. Users can execute built‑in commands, run scripts, and manage files and processes. The prompt may also be customized through configuration files or environment variables to display useful information such as the current directory, username, or system status.

Modern operating systems provide several command‑line environments. Windows offers Command Prompt (cmd.exe) and Windows PowerShell, each with different capabilities and command syntax. Unix‑like systems rely on shells such as Bash, Zsh, or Fish, each featuring scripting languages and extensive tooling. While graphical user interfaces dominate everyday use, the command prompt remains essential for system administration, automation, and troubleshooting.