Terminal (or Terminal.app) is the program included in Mac OS X for running applications and issuing commands using the command line interface. These programs are controlled by typing lines of text, rather than using the mouse or keyboard commands in the usual graphical user interface (GUI).
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What are some tips or tricks for Terminal in Mac OS X?
One tip or trick per answer.
My favorite is
open .
Opens the folder you're currently browsing in Finder. You can also pass URLs, images, documents or else to open.
If you specify a program name ...
10
votes
6answers
3k views
Start/stop internet sharing from a script?
Is there a way to start/stop internet sharing from the command line or maybe an apple script?
The thing is that I move around my laptop between home and work. At one place I get wireless internet ...
29
votes
3answers
12k views
How can I trigger a Notification Center notification from an AppleScript or shell script?
I'd love to be able to take advantage of 10.8's Notification Center features in AppleScripts and shell scripts I write.
Is there a built-in command or a third-party library I can use from either an ...
23
votes
11answers
14k views
How can I open a Terminal window directly from my current Finder location?
I was wondering if there was any was I could right click inside any instance of a "Finder" window such that I have an option that says "Open Terminal Here". It would be really helpful.
10
votes
4answers
3k views
iTunes track notifications for Mountain Lion
In OS X Lion there was the preference (via a Terminal command) to enable iTunes track notifications that were displayed as a popup in the dock.
So far it seems as though Mountain Lion does not allow ...
5
votes
2answers
437 views
Terminal behaving differently since updating to Lion
Ever since my company updated to Lion, terminal.app has been behaving differently. When I click on the dock icon, it sometimes opens several terminal windows at once, instead of a single one, and all ...
1
vote
2answers
2k views
Reset your PATH variable
I stuffed up (basically wiped) my PATH variable.
Is there any way to reset it to the default?
I look at this link on superuser, but I find it very confusing. As far as I know I stuffed up my ...
98
votes
6answers
32k views
How can I configure Mac Terminal to have color ls output?
How can I configure Mac Terminal to have color ls output?
I am using MacOS 10.5
6
votes
5answers
1k views
How can I Open Multiple Customized Terminal Shells?
How can I customized Terminal so that when I open the application it opens several shell tabs?
If possible I would like to also have it run a different environment script for each tab.
Example: Run ...
7
votes
2answers
3k views
How do I mount ejected external USB flash storage?
Suppose that we connect our flash USB drive to a MacBook, then eject this storage from Finder sidebar. Now I want to remount this storage without unplugging and replugging it into the computer, but ...
5
votes
2answers
1k views
How can I dim the screen from Terminal?
Is it possible to dim the screen from Terminal, in a Mac with OS X Lion? Is there any command to do control brightness and volume?
4
votes
4answers
1k views
Monitor a folder for changes, and run a command when a change is detected
Is there a simple way to automatically run a (Terminal) command every time a file is changed in a specific folder?
This should be possible via the command line, or a system built-in application, no ...
9
votes
2answers
2k views
Prettify OS X console by coloring output?
OS X terminal is not using colors for highlighting output from different commands, for example ls.
When compared with other systems like Ubuntu, this is a big loss of accessibility/productivity.
...
7
votes
3answers
4k views
Change Terminal.app's Default Shell to BASH
How can I change Terminal.app's default shell to BASH?
For some reason, my friend's Mac (10.6.6) defaults to using TCSH instead of BASH. The obvious remedy is to choose /bin/bash as the command to ...
15
votes
4answers
1k views
Concisely starting Mac OS apps from the command line
I do a fair amount of work in the command line, and I find myself defining a lot of aliases of the form:
alias skim='/Applications/Skim.app/Contents/MacOS/Skim'
Is there a way to add magic such ...
13
votes
4answers
1k views
Is there a way to get Terminal on Lion to start up cleanly (without the buffered history)?
How can I prevent Terminal from showing me my old output when it starts?
I would like it to always start with a clean window.
10
votes
2answers
420 views
cd to a directory just by typing its name?
For example if a directory 'blob' exists, I just type 'blob[return]' and the system cds into the blob directory for me.
In Linux (Ubuntu) I can add shopt -s autocd to my .bashrc file, but on OS X ...
8
votes
4answers
1k views
How do I speed up new Terminal tab loading time?
How can i speed up the terminal startup in Lion?
I'm not referring to the startup of the Terminal application, but to the startup terminal windows, like when i open a new tab.
I don't have anything ...
8
votes
1answer
5k views
Changing Preview.app's default View state in Lion
One thing I dislike about Preview.app in Lion is its defaulting to Continuous Scroll as the view option when a new PDF document opens. My recollection is that previous behaviour was for the last-used ...
6
votes
3answers
2k views
How to replace Mac OS X utilities with GNU core utilities?
I found there is some differences between the utility command I used on the mac OSX and linux. I want to make my experience united.
How could I replace all my mac utilities with GNU utilities?
5
votes
3answers
914 views
How can I add a path to the PATH environment variable?
I want to add a path to the PATH environment variable?
I have tried with export PATH=/mypath:$PATH and it works. But the next time I start the Terminal, my new path is not int the PATH environment ...
7
votes
3answers
1k views
Can Finder and the “open” command treat files with .sh or other typical extensions just like .command files?
I am looking for a way to inject some more extensions into the OS X launch services database systematically so that when clicked, they execute in the terminal app just like .command files do by ...
6
votes
1answer
581 views
How do I find the windowid to pass to screencapture -l?
The command line utility screencapture claims to be able to capture a single window without requiring interaction, but I can't figure out what to pass it.
-l<windowid> capture this windowsid
...
3
votes
5answers
3k views
Where is nmblookup in Lion?
I'm trying to call nmblookup in a Terminal on Lion, but it's not available. How can I lookup NMB hostnames from the Terminal now?
3
votes
2answers
807 views
How can I use tmutil to figure out which files just got deleted?
I'm on Lion and until ten minutes ago I didn't know that the nifty new tmutil existed. But now I'm a little uncertain with all its options and sub-commands which to use to try and figure out what went ...
2
votes
4answers
375 views
List the extensions installed in Safari for Mac OS X, and state whether each one is enabled
I'd like a list, from which text can be copied.
(Not a screenshot of preferences.)
This information does not appear in any of the following:
Safari
System Profiler in Snow Leopard
System ...
1
vote
2answers
3k views
Running terminal commands on startup/login
How can I run terminal commands on startup or login? On FreeBSD I believe you can do this using rc.d - is there an equivalent for the Mac? I know how to set up Login Items, but these only work for GUI ...
8
votes
4answers
664 views
Option + click in iTerm
In Terminal, Option + click allows me to place my cursor at any point on the current line-- great for editing really long commands.
How can I do this in iTerm2?
Update: According to this page, the ...
2
votes
2answers
498 views
Can I install or update Mac App Store apps through a command line using terminal?
Is there an official way provided by Apple or a workaround so that I can install or update Mac App Store apps through Terminal?
2
votes
2answers
3k views
How to move the Downloads folder (in Mountain Lion) to another disc
I want the "Downloads" folder not on the system drive but on my second internal drive.
In Lion I just deleted the "Downloads" folder and replace it with an alias with the same name (pointing to the ...
2
votes
3answers
4k views
Use curl to download images from website using wildcard?
Is there a way to use curl to download non-sequential images with a wildcard? I want to download all the panoramas I upload to my account at 360 Panorama to a local folder so I don't have to do this ...
2
votes
2answers
3k views
How do I get vim to work at 256 colors in iTerm?
I just got a new iMac, and installed iTerm (0.10).
On my last laptop 256 color mode worked fine, but I'm having trouble getting this to work on my new Mac.
I copied over all the settings, set $TERM ...
1
vote
1answer
879 views
Setting a static route every boot with launchd / plist is failing
I hope to use launchd to set a static route on a server at boot time since I haven't figured a better way to configure this sort of networking on a server.
My problem is that the command seems to be ...
1
vote
5answers
245 views
How can I create an entry in the /Applications folder that runs a command in the terminal?
I would like to have an item in the /Applications folder that will open a new terminal window and run a specific command inside. How can I create this?
1
vote
2answers
241 views
Equivalent to alt-. in terminal
I am curious as to whether there is an equivalent to the Alt-. command on Mac. On my computer it inserts the following character: ≥, instead of showing the preceding lines final parameter.
0
votes
1answer
67 views
Terminal bash name
Right now I have a Mac Mini. I migrated macbook pro data from a time machine, but I didn't do it from the beginning of my startup. I used the migration assistance to migrate the data. However, I'm ...
0
votes
1answer
352 views
iTerm2 terminals close immediately with “argpath=login error=No such file or directory”
Whenever I try to open a new terminal window in iTerm, it closes right away after displaying this:
## exec failed ##
argpath=login error=No such file or directory
Does anyone know what is causing ...
31
votes
19answers
21k views
OS X Terminal “must have” utilities
I've just read with pleasure, and learned a lot from these questions :
OS X Terminal Tips and Tricks
OS X Hidden features and nice tips & tricks
OS X Applications you can't live without
But I ...
16
votes
3answers
12k views
Can I make my Mac OS X Terminal color items according to syntax, like the Ubuntu terminal?
I want it to have all the colors for syntax folders, etc... How can I do that?
18
votes
7answers
30k views
Why doesn't .bashrc run automatically?
I put some alias commands in my .bashrc file, so that they might be loaded everytime I open a new Terminal window. Yet this doesn't happen.
I have to select run script: in the ...
27
votes
4answers
1k views
Is there a way to access a Mac's geolocation from terminal? (Mountain Lion)
(Note the Mountain Lion update at end of question)
Some GUI apps use OS X location services, but I want to retrieve a Mac's physical location from the command line. This could be useful for running ...
25
votes
3answers
14k views
Are my permissions for /usr/local/ correct?
I’m using HomeBrew for my port needs (seems a bit “cleaner” than MacPorts).
I can install without sudoing (which is great), but the man linking step seems to require it (/usr/local/share/man/man3 ...
13
votes
2answers
3k views
How to I go from .flac to .mp3 using LAME & FLAC using the Terminal alone?
This is my first question, so please go easy on me. 'Tis a pleasure to be here. Hopefully somebody can help me out.
For a long time I've been using a relative clunky technique which involves Audacity ...
17
votes
3answers
2k views
Is there a way to suppress badge counts and the dock icon bounce for Terminal.app in Lion?
With the new state saving features (which I want to keep), the dock notifications are more aggrivating to me in Lion. Can I suppress the bounce and/or the notification badge functions?
While I like ...
14
votes
3answers
752 views
Is it possible to disable Terminal's automatic tweaking of colors in Lion?
While it's great that Terminal now has built-in support for changing the ANSI colors, I find it annoying that it automatically adjusts the colors to improve contrast, which means the colors that I ...
7
votes
9answers
590 views
Which command-line packages do you need? [closed]
I generally have one of Fink, MacPorts, Homebrew installed. Most often for a single, small, and trivial package. I've found that all my day-to-day software exists in OS X versions.
So, which non-OS X ...
14
votes
6answers
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When I open Terminal, I get an “I have no name!” prompt
Suddenly, this morning, I open a Terminal window and I get this:
I have no name!@macbook:~$ whoami
502
** I am not a number! I am a human being! **
What gives? Anyone know what I need to do to ...
5
votes
6answers
1k views
OS X Terminal equivalent of Ctrl+Left / Ctrl+Right
In Windows and Linux I could always hit ctrl+← or ctrl+→ to skip a word to the left or right in the terminal. In text editors it seems that ⌥+←/→ works, but no dice ...
14
votes
8answers
9k views
Password dialog appears when SSH private key permissions are set to 0600
I installed my SSH private key in ~/.ssh/id_rsa and set its permissions to 0600. When I connect to an SSH server which uses my private key in Terminal.app via ssh, a dialog pops up and asks me to ...
10
votes
6answers
2k views
How can I quickly navigate through man pages in the Terminal
Is there any way to quickly scroll through text-heavy output in Terminal such as man pages ? Using the up and down arrows only move the screen one line at a time; is there any way to scroll faster?
