If you're working in Terminal on your Mac, you need to know the most important UNIX commands: those that work with directories, those that work with files, and miscellaneous but commonly used commands. Folders are called directories in UNIX. Commands that refer to filenames, as most do, assume that you're talking about files in the. Terminal provides a command line interface to control the UNIX-based operating system that lurks below macOS (or Mac OS X). Here's everything you need to know about Terminal, and what it can do. Mac Terminal Commands – Complete List This is a complete A- Z index of all Mac commands and the terminal events associated with those commands. We have compiled this list by using official sources and have explained more clearly and elaborately about each of them. Here are a bunch of Mac terminal commands sorted into general categories. I have intentionally omitted long bash scripts and AppleScripts and focussed instead on small useful commands that can be plugged into bigger scripts or used on their own enjoy! Terminal & Shell Basics cmd+n – Open a new Shell in a new window. For Mac users: One thing that made the accepted answer not work for me is that I didn't drag the vs code package into the applications folder. So you need to drag it to the applications folder then you run the command inside vs code (shown below) as per the official document.
cd /Volumes (should take you to the Volumes directory at the root level)
If you type
cd Volumes (it will look for a Volumes directory relative to your current directory)
So type
cd /Volumes (if your Mac booted, this directory is definitely present!)
cd CNU680 (no leading /. If you get an error message, then this directory is not present)
cd Mac
Those three commands above are the equivalent to cd /Volumes/CNU680/Mac
You can also type
ls /Volumes
to see what directories are located there.
This is a complete A- Z index of all Mac commands and the terminal events associated with those commands. We have compiled this list by using official sources and have explained more clearly and elaborately about each of them. We have also added two additional columns specifying whether or not the command is an inbuilt system one. The final column also displays the Mac version support for each of these commands.
IMPORTANT: If you are not an advanced user and have no knowledge on how to use the terminal commands, please do not try to experiment. These are meant for medium and advanced users ONLY.
IMPORTANT: If you are not an advanced user and have no knowledge on how to use the terminal commands, please do not try to experiment. These are meant for medium and advanced users ONLY.
Mac Terminal Commands – A to Z
Command | InBuilt | Command Action and Event | All |
alias | Yes | Creation of a Alias for current User | Yes |
alloc | No | Free Memory is Listed | Yes |
apropos | No | String search in What is database | NA |
awk | No | Scan and overwrite Text inside file and files | NA |
basename | No | Pictures of a mac 10. Change full path name to path name | NA |
bash | No | Bourne-Again Shell | NA |
bg | Yes | Send to background | Yes |
bind | Yes | Read line Key is displayed | Yes |
bless | No | Assign Boot and start-up options | NA |
break | Yes | Exit a redundant loop | Yes |
builtin | Yes | Execute a built in shell command | Yes |
bzip2 | No | Compress and decompress a file | Yes |
cal | No | The calendar is displayed | Yes |
caller | Yes | Subroutine call context is returned | Yes |
case | Yes | Conditional statement | Yes |
cat | No | Append and Display file content | Yes |
cd | Yes | Change current Directory | Yes |
chflags | No | Change flags | NA |
chgrp | No | Modify Group Ownership | NA |
chmod | No | Change group permissions | NA |
chown | No | Modify File owner and permissions | NA |
chroot | No | Execute a command using another root directory | NA |
cksum | No | Print and display checksum | NA |
clear | No | Clear current terminal screen contents | NA |
cmp | No | Simply compares two files | NA |
comm | No | Line by line comparison of two sorted lines | Yes |
command | Yes | Run or Execute a command | Yes |
complete | Yes | Edit or modify completion of a command | Yes |
continue | Yes | Resume a loop | Yes |
cp | No | Copy Command | NA |
cron | No | Run or Execute a prescheduled command | NA |
crontab | No | Schedule command for execution after an assigned time | NA |
csplit | No | Split a file into context-determined pieces | NA |
curl | No | Upload or download data from a server | NA |
cut | No | Cut a file into parts | Yes |
date | No | Display or modify date time | Yes |
dc | No | Display Desk Calculator | NA |
dd | No | (Copy a file) Data Dump | NA |
declare | Yes | Declare and assign attributes for a variable | Yes |
defaults | No | Set visual preference options for hidden files | NA |
df | No | Show unused disk space | Yes |
diff | No | Show difference between two files | Yes |
diff3 | No | Show difference between three files | NA |
dig | No | Command to lookup DNS details | NA |
dirname | No | Convert full path name to path | NA |
dirs | Yes | Display cached directories | Yes |
diskutil | No | Disk utility command | Yes |
disown | Yes | Remove a job from current session | Yes |
ditto | No | Same as copy command | Yes |
dot_clean | No | Remove dots and underscores from a context files | NA |
drutil | No | Disk drive utility command | NA |
dscacheutil | No | Flush DNS or cache | NA |
dscl | No | Command-line utility for directory service | Yes |
dseditgroup | No | Manage groups and users | Yes |
dsenableroor | No | Command to enable root access for a terminal | NA |
dsmemberutil | No | Show groups and users rights | NA |
du | No | File space usage estimation | NA |
echo | Yes | Display an entered message on the screen | Yes |
ed | No | A text editor program | Yes |
enable | Yes | Enable or disable system shell commands | Yes |
env | No | Display or Modify environment variables | Yes |
eval | Yes | Evaluate one or more commands or arguments | Yes |
exec | Yes | Execute command | Yes |
exit | Yes | Exit shell | Yes |
expand | No | Expand a Tab | NA |
expect | No | Pre assigned dialogue exchange for interactive programs | NA |
export | Yes | Assign environment variable | Yes |
expr | No | Evaluate an expression or set of expressions | Yes |
fc | No | Fix command | NA |
fdisk | No | Format disk command | NA |
fg | Yes | Bring a job to front | Yes |
file | No | Analyse file type | Yes |
find | No | File search matching requested criteria | NA |
fmt | No | Reformat Text in a paragraph | NA |
fold | No | Wrap text to automatically adjust with working area | NA |
for | Yes | Simple Loop command | Yes |
fs_usage | No | File system display usage | Yes |
fsactl | No | Enable or disable ACL support for File System | NA |
fsck | No | Check and repair file systems | NA |
ftp | No | FTP manager | NA |
getfileinfo | No | Get file attributes | Yes |
getopts | Yes | Parse the positional parameters | Yes |
goto | No | Jump to an assigned point and then continue program execution | NA |
grep | No | Search file with a certain pattern | NA |
groups | No | Display a user's group name | NA |
gzip | No | Compress and decompress a file | Yes |
halt | No | Shutdown and Restart the system | NA |
hash | Yes | Refresh command cache and path names | Yes |
hdiutil | No | Hard drive interface Utility Tool | Yes |
head | No | Print first line from a text file | Yes |
history | Yes | History Command | Yes |
hostname | No | Display or modify System name | NA |
iconv | No | Convert character set of file(s) | NA |
id | No | Display user and group IDs | Yes |
if | Yes | Conditional Command statement | Yes |
info | No | Display help information | NA |
install | No | Copy and assign attributes of a file | Yes |
ipconfig | No | Configure network attributes and assign values | NA |
jobs | Yes | List all currently active jobs | Yes |
join | No | Join command | NA |
kextfind | No | List the kernel extension | NA |
kickstart | No | Configure and set Apple Remote Desktop properties | NA |
kill | No | Terminate a process directly | Yes |
l | No | List file in original long format | NA |
last | No | Indicate last login information of a users and additional info | NA |
launchctl | No | Launch daemons or agents | NA |
less | No | Display output on screen accommodating data per window | NA |
let | Yes | Evaluate an expression or set of expressions | Yes |
lipo | No | Convert binary format | Yes |
ll | No | List file in original long format, also display hidden files | Yes |
ln | No | Interlink files | NA |
local | Yes | Assign local variable | Yes |
locate | No | Find a file or files | Yes |
login | No | log-in your system | NA |
logname | No | Display current users login name | NA |
logout | Yes | Exit login shell | Yes |
lpr | No | Print file or files | Yes |
lprm | No | Remove queued print jobs | Yes |
lpstat | No | Printer info and current status | Yes |
ls | No | List a file information | NA |
lsof | No | List currently opened files | NA |
lsregister | No | Reset Launch Service database | NA |
man | No | Display Help manual | Yes |
mdfind | No | Spotlight search command | Yes |
mdutil | No | Spotlight search command utility | Yes |
mkdir | No | Create new directory | Yes |
mkfifo | No | Build FIFOs | Yes |
more | No | Display output data one screen at one time | NA |
mount | No | Mount a file system | NA |
mv | No | Cut or rename directories or files | NA |
nano | No | Bring up text editor | Yes |
net | No | Configure network resources | NA |
netstat | No | Display network information | NA |
networksetup | No | Assign network attributes | Yes |
nice | No | Set command priority | NA |
nohup | No | Hang-up a command | NA |
ntfs.util | No | NTFS utility command | Yes |
onintr | No | Control shell action | NA |
open | No | Open up a file or location | NA |
osacomplie | No | Command to Compile an Apple script | NA |
osasdript | No | Execute an AppleScript | NA |
passwd | No | Modify user password directly | Yes |
paste | No | Merge lines from two or more files | Yes |
pbcopy | No | Copy the data to clipboard | NA |
pbpaste | No | Paste the data from Clipboard | NA |
ping | No | Check a network connection | NA |
pkgutil | No | Display or change Installed packages info | NA |
plutil | No | Property list command utility | Yes |
pmset | No | Configure Power Management settings | Yes |
popd | Yes | Restore previous value of current directory | Yes |
pr | No | Modify Text files to print | Yes |
printenv | No | Display all environment variables | Yes |
printf | Yes | Print command | Yes |
ps | No | Display Process status | Yes |
pushd | No | Save and change current directory | NA |
pwd | Yes | Print currently Working Directory | Yes |
quota | No | Display disk limitation and usage | Yes |
rcp | No | Copy files across machines/systems | Yes |
read | Yes | Read first line from an output file | Yes |
readonly | Yes | Assign read only attribute to a file/directory | Yes |
reboot | Yes | Reboot a system | Yes |
return | Yes | Exit Function | Yes |
rev | No | Reverse file lines | NA |
rm | No | Remove file(s) | NA |
rmdir | No | Remove directory(ies) | Yes |
rpm | No | Bring up Remote Package Manager tool | Yes |
rsync | No | Remotely copy a file | NA |
say | No | Text to speech conversion | NA |
screen | No | Manage Multiplex terminal and run remote shells via ssh | NA |
screencapture | No | Capture the screen image | Yes |
sdiff | No | Merge or modify two files | Yes |
security | No | Configure security options for a system | Yes |
sed | No | Stream Editor Utility | NA |
select | Yes | Display list of Items | Yes |
set | Yes | Set shell variable | Yes |
setfile | No | Set file attributes | NA |
shift | Yes | Shift positional parameters | Yes |
shopt | Yes | Configure shell options | Yes |
shutdown | No | Shutdown/restart Mac OS X | NA |
sleep | No | Sleep after an assigned time frame | Yes |
softwareupdate | No | Software Update Command | Yes |
sort | No | Sort the text files | Yes |
source | Yes | Execute command from file | Yes |
split | No | Split files into like sized pieces | NA |
stop | No | Stop a process or currently running job | NA |
su | No | Substitute a user identity | Yes |
sudo | No | Execute command as some other user | Yes |
sum | No | Print checksum value for a file | NA |
suspend | Yes | Suspend shell execution | Yes |
sw_vers | No | Print Mac Operating System version | NA |
system_profiler | No | Report a system configuration | Yes |
tail | No | Display the last lines from a file | NA |
tar | No | Archiver Utility | Yes |
tcpdump | No | Network Traffic dump | NA |
tee | No | Redirect multiple file output | NA |
test | Yes | Conditional evaluation | Yes |
textutil | No | Modify Text file formats | NA |
time | No | Calculate Program Resource Usage | Yes |
times | Yes | Print shell along with shell process time | Yes |
top | No | Display process related information | Yes |
touch | No | Change the file timestamps info | Yes |
tr | No | Modify Characters or delete them | NA |
traceroute | No | Display Trace Route path to assigned host name | NA |
trap | Yes | Execute command when shell receives signal | Yes |
tty | No | Print terminal filename on stdin | NA |
type | Yes | Describe command name and type | Yes |
ufs.util | No | Mount or unmount a UFS file system | NA |
ulimit | Yes | Limit system resources usage | Yes |
unalias | Yes | Delete an alias | Yes |
unamask | No | Mask User file creation | NA |
uname | No | Print System Info | Yes |
unexpand | No | Space to tab converter | Yes |
uniq | No | Uniquify the files | Yes |
units | No | Unit scale converter command | NA |
unmount | No | Unmount a mounted device | NA |
unset | Yes | Remove function or variable names | Yes |
until | Yes | Loop command | Yes |
uptime | No | Display System Runtime information | NA |
users | No | Print all username of the current session | NA |
uucp | No | Unix to Unix copy command | Yes |
uudecode | No | Decode a file | NA |
uuencode | No | Encode a file | NA |
vi | No | Visual Text Editor | Yes |
wait | Yes | Wait for process completion | Yes |
whatis | No | Search what is database | NA |
where | No | Report all command instances | NA |
while | Yes | Loop command | Yes |
who | No | Print all names of the users of the current session | NA |
whoami | No | Display or Print current username and info details | NA |
write | No | Send a user a message | NA |
xargs | No | Execute utility by passing arguments | Yes |
yes | No | Print a string value until and unless interrupted by a user | NA |
Foot note: N/A – Data not available.
Mac Terminal Command Diskutil
If you feel this list lacks any particular command which has been recently added to the Mac terminal, you can improve this article by mentioning it in the comment section.
