3 Methods to Open Terminal on Ubuntu

Terminal provides direct access to system commands, package management, and administrative tasks. While often used by advanced users, it can be launched in multiple simple ways. This tutorial provides 3 methods how to open terminal on Ubuntu.

Method 1 - Ctrl+Alt+T shortcut

The quickest way to launch terminal is through a keyboard Ctrl+Alt+T shortcut. This key combination immediately opens a new terminal window and is enabled by default in most Ubuntu installations.

Method 2 - Search in Activities menu

Terminal can also be opened through the system search interface:

• Press the Super key (typically the Windows key) to open the Activities overview.
• Start typing terminal.
• Select the Terminal application from the results.

Alternatively, the Activities menu can also be accessed by clicking the Activities button in the top-left corner of the screen.

Method 3 - From Nautilus file manager

Terminal can be launched directly from the file manager for convenience in a specific directory:

• Open Files (Nautilus).
• Navigate to any desired directory.
• Right-click inside the directory window.
• Choose Open in Terminal.

This method is useful when command execution is needed within a specific directory context.