When Retro Rocket finishes booting you arrive at the command shell (called rocketsh). This is a text-based interface where you type commands at a prompt:

The shell is the starting point for everything you do in Retro Rocket. From here you can explore files, run BASIC programs, or start writing your own.

Using the shell

Type a command at the prompt and press Enter.
Commands that start external programs are generally written in lowercase, so it is obvious you are running an external program.
External programs are looked for in the /programs directory.
BASIC keywords are always in uppercase.

Editing commands

Use the arrow keys to move through the line and edit it.
Use UP/DOWN arrows to move through recently entered commands.
Pressing ESC clears the current line.

These editing features are shared with BASIC programs that use the ansi library.

More about rocketsh

The shell has its own variables (PROMPT$, PATH$, and others) that let you customise it. For details, see the rocketsh command reference.