What is a Terminal on Mac
As it turned out, huge amounts of search queries concerning the topic “Terminal on Mac”, “Mac hacks Terminal” appear on the Internet almost every day. Moreover, many people want to find out how to run Terminal in the Apple operating system. As it is well known, a regular user has no reason to use or even open Terminal, an Apple Command Line interface application, but it’s worth a try because, in fact, it gives access to many tricks and shortcuts. So, let’s start.
It is a well - known fact that Apple has its own Mac Command Line interface, in which you can easily and quickly manage tasks than perform a normal and long process. However, its interface looks rather specific, especially if you do not have the technical knowledge or any clue how to use the Terminal on Mac. However, once you take a look at this useful application, you will surely like it. Who knows?
Terminal is a standard system utility for interacting with Mac using the Command Line. Linux has a similar management tool because both operating systems are Unix-like. In brief, all you need to know about the Terminal is that it is an application that allows you to control your computer using commands, besides that opens the possibility to work with locked functions, etc.
How to open Terminal on Mac
For the record, there are several ways to open Mac Terminal. Choose the one that meets your requirements the most.
1. How to open Command Line on Mac via the Dock
There is usually “Applications” shortcut on the Dock panel on macOS. Click on it and a list of all installed programs on your Mac will be open. Find and open the “Utilities” folder, inside you will find the “Terminal” app. Run it. Please note that in recent versions of Mac OS X, this shortcut is called Launchpad.
2. Opening Terminal through the Finder
Open Finder (in the Dock it is always on the left). In the left menu, select "Applications" and in the list of all programs that open, find the directory/folder "Utilities". Click on it and search for the application "Terminal.app" in it. Double-click the Terminal.
3. Opening Terminal on Mac through the Spotlight search bar
Hold down the Ctrl + Spacebar key combination at the same time. In the pop-up window, enter the word "Terminal". Once you have typed you will see the application you need, all you need is just click it.
4. Basic Terminal Mac shortcuts
- Command (⌘) + T is used in order to open a new terminal window.
- Command (⌘) + N is used in order to open a new tab in the terminal.
- Command (⌘) + Shift + T is used to switch tabs back and forth.
Mac Terminal tricks you should know
Mac OS Terminal can do a lot, from moving a lot of files to changing preferences that we couldn't even think of. To demonstrate what Terminal can do, we have put together 17 really excellent tips and tricks that you might find useful.
1. Enable showing hidden files and folders
If you want to see all the folders and files hidden by the system, then run the following command in the Terminal:
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles -bool TRUE && killall finder
Tip: To hide them back, change the value from TRUE to FALSE.
2. View the contents of any files
If you have a damaged file or you suspect that something else is hidden inside it, then you can force the Terminal to open it, despite the failure of normal applications, with the corresponding command:
cat ~/path/to/file
Be careful, if you try to open a photo or any other non-text document, you will see a wall of illegible characters.
3. Copy the contents of a folder from one location to another
Of course, you can just copy-paste the entire contents of the folder, but in cases where you need to simplify and / or automate this process, the following Mac Terminal command will help you:
ditto -V ~/source/folder/ ~/new/folder/
4. Changing the file format of screenshots
While using Terminal on Mac, you can change the format of screenshots from PNG to any other, including PDF and JPG:
defaults write com.apple.screencapture type jpg && killall SystemUIServer
5. Disable shadows in screenshots
Those who take a lot of screenshots and want nothing extra on them can turn off the drop shadow effect and leave only the window itself being shot:
defaults write com.apple.screencapture disable-shadow -bool TRUE && killall SystemUIServer
6. New names for screenshots
I absolutely do not like that boring and inconvenient format for the names of screenshots (“Screenshot date-time”), so below there will be a command that allows you to replace the word “Screenshot” with something more appropriate:
defaults write com.apple.screencapture name "New name" && killall SystemUIServer
By the way, to return the setting to the original name, you need to enter this:
defaults delete com.apple.screencapture name && killall SystemUIServer
7. New folder for screenshots
By default, all screenshots are saved to your desktop, clogging up valuable space. To change this, simply enter the following command from the list of Useful Terminal commands:
defaults write com.apple.screencapture location ~/your/location/here && killall SystemUIServer
8. How long has my Mac been on?
When was the last time you have rebooted your computer? You can check this with a command in the Terminal:
uptime
9. Disable sleep mode
Sometimes it becomes necessary to keep the Mac awake, for example, when downloading a torrent or creating a backup. While using Mac Terminal you can disable hibernation on your Mac by typing:
caffeinate
Now your Mac will not fall asleep under any pretext.
Tip: For this command, you can specify the time (in seconds) after which the Mac will automatically go to sleep if it is inactive:
caffeinate -u -t 5400
10. Start auto-restart when the Mac completely freezes
Of course, it also happens: for no reason at all, the Mac freezes and you have nothing left but a forced reboot. The following command forces OS X to reboot if it realizes that the system is not responding:
sudo systemsetup -setrestartfreeze on
11. Drag and drop folders and files to automatically generate paths
One trick that saves the most time and makes using Terminal easier is automatically generating paths. Working in the Terminal, you need to enter custom file paths often. First, you have to locate the file or folder, then copy the file path into the Terminal. It can take a long time, and it’s easy to make typos.
Instead, you can grab a file or folder and drag and drop it directly into the Terminal window. This trick even works mid-command, so whenever you need a file or folder path, just grab the icon and generate it automatically when you drop it into Terminal.
12. Activate the type to talk feature
While automatically generating paths saves you a significant amount of time while working, the type-to-talk feature is mostly just for fun. When you type the say command, your Mac will repeat anything you type after it.
Mac has over 100 voices from which to pick. By adding a name to the command say -v name you can change the voice it uses to repeat the text you enter into the Terminal. There are two ways to get the list of the names:
- Use the
say -v ?command to get a list of the voice names - Navigate to the Accessibility menu in System Preferences:
- - select Speech in the lefthand menu list;
- - open the System Voice drop-down menu;
- - select Customize;
- - browse the voice options available and pick your favorites.
The say command recognizes periods and commas, but since the Return key executes any command, you have to type everything into a single line. Type out longer paragraphs of speech in a text document first, then copy and paste it into Terminal.
13. Repeat characters by holding down a single key
Those who use both Windows and Mac OS will notice slight differences in the keyboard functions for each operating system. It can take some adapting to the different keystroke responses of Mac. One of the most noticeable ones is holding a single key.
On macOS, holding down a single key reveals a number of variations of that character. In Windows, that same shortcut allows you to repeat that character for as long as you hold down the key.
Both are useful functions, but it’s only possible to repeat the spacebar key in macOS by holding it down in a text field. If you find you’re not using alternative characters very often (keep in mind you can always copy/paste them from Wikipedia as well), then you can permanently switch the function for Mac.
Open Terminal and type the following, and press Return to execute:
defaults write NSGlobalDomain ApplePressAndHoldEnabled -bool FALSE
Quit any open applications and restart them for the change to take effect. If you change your mind later and want to go back to the alternate characters, you can enter the same command with TRUE instead of FALSE:
defaults write NSGlobalDomain ApplePressAndHoldEnabled -bool TRUE
Remember to hit the Return key to execute the command once you have it entered.
14. Turn Text into an ASCII Banner
As a throwback to the early days of the internet, you can turn text into an ASCII banner using Terminal. ASCII art pre-dates the stylish art and graphics available now; it uses the American Standard Code for Information Interchange keyboard to create large graphics. It’s also incredibly easy to use the banner function in Terminal.
- Launch Terminal from Utilities under Applications
- Type:
banner
- Follow with the text you want to be displayed: banner your text goes here
ASCII banners default to 132 characters wide, which can look nonsensical on a computer screen. It’s easy to adjust the size of your banner using the width flag.
- Type:
banner -w 30
You can reduce the width of your ASCII art to any size or increase it if you want.
15. Watch Star Wars in ASCII
It should be no surprise that the MacOS programmers were fans of the sci-fi classic Star Wars. It’s possible to “watch” the first movie in the original trilogy, A New Hope, in ASCII. Use the command:
nc towel.blinkenlights.nl 23
You can watch the entire movie in ASCII art, with text captions of the dialogue. When you’re stuck in a boring meeting or on a flight without wi-fi, it’s a good distraction.
16. Customize a Login Window Message
Whether you spend a lot of time on the computer or just use one for fun, it’s nice when your devices feel customized to you. Using Terminal, you can create your own message for the login window of your computer or create one to use on a fleet of computers for work or school. The command line is:
sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow LoginwindowText "Your message here"
Just log off your account or restart your computer, and the message will now greet you every time you log in to use your computer. If you want to change the message seasonally or remove it altogether, just use the command:
sudo defaults delete /Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow LoginwindowText
Using Terminal tricks is one way to get more computer savvy, have fun with the native features of macOS, and customize your computer to your preferences. Here’s a cheat sheet with the most commonly used Terminal commands and shortcuts.
Terminal Mac Commands List to improve productivity
Shortcuts
| Command | Action |
Tab |
Use auto-completion for file and folder names |
Ctrl + A |
Return to the start of the current line |
Ctrl + E |
Skip to the end of the current line |
Ctrl + U |
Delete the current line ahead of the cursor |
Ctrl + K |
Delete the current line behind the cursor |
Ctrl + W |
Clear the last word before the cursor |
Ctrl + T |
Exchange the two characters before the cursor |
Esc + T |
Exchange the two words before the cursor |
Ctrl + L |
Clear the entire screen |
Ctrl + C |
Stop what is currently running |
Ctrl + D |
Exit from the active shell |
Option + → |
Skip the cursor one word forward |
Option + ← |
Skip the cursor one word backward |
Ctrl + F |
Skip the cursor one character forward |
Ctrl + B |
Skip the cursor one character backward |
Ctrl + Y |
Paste cut text |
Ctrl + Z |
Suspend whatever is running in the background |
Ctrl + _ |
Undo your last command |
Option + Shift + Cmd + C |
Copy selected text |
Shift + Cmd + V |
Paste the copied selection |
Basics
| Command | Action |
/ |
Root directory |
. |
Current working directory |
.. |
Parent of the current working directory |
~ |
Home folder for the logged-in user |
sudo [command] |
Run current command using super user security privileges |
nano [file] |
Open the Terminal editor |
open [file] |
Open a specified file |
[command] -h |
Open help for a specific command |
man [command] |
Access the help manual for a specific command |
exit |
End your current shell session |
Change Directory
| Command | Action |
cd |
Navigate from one directory to another |
cd [folder] |
Change the directory to a new specified folder |
cd ~ |
Navigate to home directory of logged-in user |
cd / |
Navigate to the root directory |
cd - |
Navigate to the last directory you opened |
pwd |
Show the current working directory |
cd .. |
Navigate up to the parent of the current directory |
cd ../.. |
Navigate up two parent directors from the current |
List Directory Contents
| Command | Action |
ls |
Show all file and subdirectory names in the current directory |
ls -C |
Show listing in forced multi-column |
ls -a |
List all entries including . and .. directories |
ls -1 |
Show file list in single-entry per line format |
ls -F |
Organize output with a slash / after directory paths, asterisk * after programs and scripts, at @ after symbolic links |
ls -S |
Organize files and entries by size |
ls -l |
Long-form list with: file owner, group name, mode, date, time, pathnames and more |
ls -l / |
Symbolic link list of the file system from the root |
ls -lt |
Files listed by time, with most recently modified first |
ls -lh |
Long-form list organized by human-readable file size in KB, MB or GB |
ls -lo |
List organized by file names with file size, owner, and any flags |
ls -la |
Detailed list of a directory contents including any hidden files |
File Size and Disk Space
| Command | Action |
du |
List showing the usage of every subdirectory and its contents |
df -h |
Display your system free disk space |
df -H |
Display your system free disk space in powers of 1,000 instead of 1,024 |
du -sh [folder] |
Display a human-readable output of a directory files |
du -s |
List entries for specific files |
du -sk * | sort -nr |
Display all files and folders with total size including subfolders in KB; use sm instead of sk to get directory size in MB |
File and Directory Management
| Command | Action |
mkdir <dir> |
Generate a new folder with name <dir> |
mkdir -p <dir>/<dir> |
Generate nested folders |
mkdir <dir1> <dir2> <dir3> |
Make several folders at once, without nesting |
mkdir "<dir>" |
Generate a folder with a space in the file name |
rmdir <dir> |
Delete an empty folder; doesn't work for folders with contents |
rm -R <dir> |
Delete both a folder and its contents |
touch <file> |
Generate new file without specifying an extension |
cp <file> <dir> |
Duplicate a file to a specified folder |
cp <file> <newfile> |
Duplicate a file to the current folder in use |
cp <file> ~/<dir>/<newfile> |
Duplicate and rename a file to a specified folder |
cp -R <dir> "<new dir>" |
Duplicate a folder to a new, specified folder when there are spaces in the filename |
cp -i <file> <dir> |
Provide a warning prompt before copying a file regarding overwrite |
cp <file1> <file2> <file3> /Users/<dir> |
Duplicate multiple files to a single folder |
ditto -V [folder path] [new folder] |
Duplicate a folder contents to a new specified folder V prints a line status for all the copied files |
rm <file> |
Delete permanently a file: be cautious when using this command |
rm -i <file> |
Ask for confirmation before deleting a file |
rm -f <file> |
Remove forcibly a files without needing confirmation |
rm <file1> <file2> <file3> |
Delete several files at once without needing confirmation |
mv <file> <newfilename> |
Move a file location and rename it |
mv <file> <dir> |
Relocate a file to a new folder; allows possible overwrite of existing files |
mv -i <file> <dir> |
Add an optional -i flag warning before file overwrites |
mv *.png ~/<dir> |
Relocate files with PNG extension from current folder to a new one |
Command History
| Command | Action |
Ctrl + R |
Perform a search in prior commands |
history n |
Display prior typed commands; add a value to n to limit the displayed items |
![value] |
Execute last typed common that begins with a value |
!! |
Execute whatever command was typed last |
Permissions
| Command | Action |
ls -ld |
Show a home directory default permissions |
ls -ld <dir> |
Show a folder permissions for read, write and access |
chmod 755 <file> |
Revise a file permission to 755 |
chmod -R 600 <dir> |
Revise both a folder and its contents permission to 600 |
chown <user>:<group> <file> |
Change a file ownership to a new user and group; the addition of -R will include the folder contents in the change |
Processes
| Command | Action |
ps -ax |
Display currently running processes; a display processes from all users; x display processes disconnected with the Terminal |
ps -aux |
Display processes with %cpu, %mem, page in, PID and command |
top |
Show relevant live information about running processes |
top -ocpu -s 5 |
Get an update every 5 seconds of processes sorted by CPU usage |
top -o rsize |
Display a list of processes sorted by memory usage |
kill PID |
Quit all processes with the ID PID; view PID as a column in the Activity Monitor |
ps -ax | grep <appname> |
Locate processes by name or PID |
Network
| Command | Action |
ping <host> |
Ping the display status and host |
whois <domain> |
Show the whois for a specified domain |
curl -O <url/to/file> |
Download a selected file with HTTP, HTTPS or FTP |
ssh <username>@<host> |
Create a SSH connection from a specified host with a user designated with username |
scp <file> <user>@<host>:/remote/path |
Copy a specified file to a remote host |
arp -a |
Display a list of your local network devices with IP and MAC addresses |
ifconfig en0 |
Display your own device IP and MAC address |
traceroute [hostname] |
See the path and hops when packets traverse from your device to a designated address |
Homebrew
| Command | Action |
brew doctor |
Review the homebrew for potential issues |
brew help |
Display a list of useful formula and cask commands for homebrew |
brew install <formula>|<cask> |
Install a homebrew formula or cask |
brew uninstall <formula>|<cask> |
Uninstall a homebrew formula or cask |
brew list --formula |
Display a list of the installed formula and nothing else |
brew list --cask |
Display a list of the installed cask and nothing else |
brew deps <formula>|<cask> |
Display a list of a formula or cask dependencies |
brew search text|/regex/ |
Use regex to search for formula or cask |
brew upgrade <formula>|<cask> |
Perform upgrades for the specified formula or cask |
brew outdated <formula>|<cask> |
Perform a search for out-of-date formula or cask |
brew outdated --formula |
Perform a search for an outdated formula alone |
brew outdated --cask |
Perform a search for an outdated cask alone |
brew pin [installed_formula] |
Add a pin to a formula to prevent an upgrade |
brew unpin [installed_formula] |
Unpin formula to upgrade a package |
brew cleanup |
Remove stale lock files and outdated packages for all formula and cask |
Environment Variable or Path
| Command | Action |
printenv |
Show a list of the environment variables currently set and which are in current use |
echo "Hello" |
Specify something for the terminal to print and display |
echo $PATH |
Evaluate a PATH variable value that storing a list of directories and executables files |
echo $PATH >path.txt |
Export the current PATH directory to a text file |
export PATH=$PATH:absolute/path to/program/ |
Restrict a program execution via terminal to your current session for regularly used programs; add the PATH to the shell configuration |
Search
| Command | Action |
find <dir> -name "<file>" |
Locate all specified files by name <file> within a certain directory <dir>; use * to search for parts of filenames |
grep "<text>" <file> |
Display an output of every occurrence of specified <text> within a certain <file>; use -i to ignore case sensitivity |
grep -rl "<text>" <dir> |
Locate any files containing specified <text> within a certain <dir> |
Output
| Command | Action |
cat <file> |
Output all content of a specified <file> |
less <file> |
Use the less command to support pagination and other features when outputting contents of a specified <file> |
head <file> |
Output only the first ten lines of a specified <file> |
<cmd> >> <file> |
Add the output of a specified <cmd> to the <file> |
<cmd> > <file> |
Specify the output of <cmd> into a certain <file> |
<cmd1> | <cmd2> |
Specify the output from <cmd1> to <cmd2> |
