Untangling the Terminal: How to master the macOS command line interface

When we imagine of the macOS user interface, we imagine of the graphical UI—pointing and clicking icons, with a cursor, menus, home windows, and many others. But there’s one more UI constructed into macOS: the command-line interface, which consists of typing commands like the days of old. It can be a a lot more successful way of utilizing your Mac—instead of pointing, clicking, dragging, and opening and closing home windows, you can sort in instructions that present much more direct obtain.

The way to accessibility the Mac’s command line is by way of the Terminal app, which is found in the Utilities folder within Purposes. We have various content articles about the Terminal and the command line—click on a link beneath to enable you learn how to use them. We’ll include a lot more article content to this index as they show up on the website, so test back for new information.

Accessibility the command manual

The key to mastering about macOS’s command line is manual (or male) internet pages. Here’s an introduction.

Navigate documents and directories

This article covers the basic principles features of the ls (list) and cd (adjust listing) instructions. Discover how to see the contents of a folder (which is called a directory in command-line converse), and how to use switches to get a lot more out of the ls and cd commands.

Evaluate the contents of two folders

Use the diff command to speedily examine the contents of two folders. Learn how.

Delete documents and directories

Find out how the rm command lets you to delete documents and the rmdir command is utilised to delete directories (folders).

Copy and transfer information and folders

Learn how to use the cp (copy) and mv (go) commands for the adhering to duties:

• How to duplicate or shift a file to a different directory
• How to duplicate or go a listing
• How to copy or move many documents or directories
• How to rename a file
• How to generate a listing

Correct Terminal typos

It’s sure to occur: you make a blunder typing in a command in the Terminal. The good thing is, there’s a way to fix the mistake without having to style the entire command above all over again. Learn how.

Form considerably less by utilizing Terminal shortcuts

Save tons of time and style a lot less by working with the command historical past features.

Glimpse at your command background record

You can check to see what commands are in your heritage at any time by running the background command. Here’s how.

Change the window qualifications shade and impression

Find out how to make Terminal use a person-defined history graphic every single time you open a new window.

Activate essential repetition

You can use the Terminal to disable macOS’s character palette and restore crucial repeating.

Securely erase free area on a hard travel

Find out how to use Terminal to securely erase totally free tough push place (not for SSDs).

See what Mac procedures are accessing the world wide web

If you’ve ever questioned about which systems are using your online link at any point in time, here’s one way to locate out making use of Terminal.

Enjoy audio data files

Learn how to perform, change, and get info on audio information working with some macOS Terminal commands.

Use Brief Glance

Quick Look—select an item in the Finder and push the Space Bar to preview it—is available when you are working with the Terminal. Here’s how to use it.

Make the macOS Dock super small

If the Dimensions slider in the Dock choices pane doesn’t go modest sufficient for you, here’s a trick that will.

Check your Intel and M1 Mac’s SSD health applying Terminal

Follow our step-by-move guide to get critical stats on the viability of your Mac’s SSD working with Terminal and smartmontools.