274
votes
118answers
95k views
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 ...
206
votes
123answers
131k views
Please share your hidden OS X features or tips and tricks
Do you know any hidden or little-known nice feature of Mac OS X? It doesn't matter what it is—maybe just a short terminal command or a keyboard shortcut. Share your experiences on hidden Mac OS ...
169
votes
233answers
21k views
Which OS X Applications do you find indispensable?
Please Search Prior To Posting!
There are many applications already listed. In all likelihood, this includes the one you are thinking of. Please check the existing answers to avoid duplicates, and ...
132
votes
106answers
48k views
What tiny thing in Lion makes you smile or has caught you off guard?
I would like to call for a place to list some little things that surprise you about Lion. There are so many articles and lists of all the new features with information overload, I would rather focus ...
117
votes
7answers
39k views
Why isn't iTunes shuffle random?
This is a problem that has bugged me for the last 5 years, across multiple devices, operating systems and installs of iTunes and iPods.
I have found that the iTunes shuffle feature does not randomly ...
108
votes
4answers
23k views
How can I disable animation when switching desktops in Lion?
I would very much like to disable the sliding animation that occurs when switching desktops via ctrl+→/← or ctrl+[number] in Lion. This was previously accomplished in previous versions ...
102
votes
57answers
20k views
What tiny thing in iOS 5 makes you smile, or has caught you off guard?
iOS 5 is here! Geofencing, new Voices in Voice Command/Siri, and Notification Center for all!
We all know how heartfelt iOS makes you seem (Cards), how much control it gives you for managing your ...
98
votes
6answers
34k 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
77
votes
16answers
7k views
Is there a quick way to lock my Mac?
On Windows you can hit the keys Windows+L to lock your computer if you step away.
I don't want to have to remember if sleep currently asks for a password, if there is a time out where my screen isn't ...
75
votes
52answers
12k views
What un(der)-documented features have you stumbled upon in Mountain Lion?
This question serves to share and collect the enhancements which are not documented by Apple, or documented poorly.
Please justify your answer; if it is something that is well documented by Apple and ...
72
votes
15answers
46k views
Why is Git not found after installing OS X Lion?
I just upgraded to OS X Lion and now cannot initialize Git where it used to work fine:
$ git add .
-bash: git: command not found
I'm new to Git and to programming, so I'm sure it's a quick fix, ...
62
votes
22answers
17k views
What Window Management Options exist for OS X?
I'd like to do something with my windows on OS X, where something includes options like re-arranging, moving, re-sizing, remembering positions, cloning across Spaces, etc. What options exist?
Rules
...
60
votes
4answers
96k views
How does iMessage know that the recipient is an iOS 5 device?
When you send a message using the Messages app, iOS seems to magically figure out that the recipient is on iOS 5 and automatically switches over to iMessage (blue messages instead of green SMSs).
...
44
votes
2answers
4k views
Can I get back Snow-Leopard-like application hiding (Cmd-H) in Lion?
Till Mac OS X Snow Leopard, pressing ⌘+H while using an application did two things...
The application hid itself from view.
The application placed itself at the end of the ⌘+⇥ ...
43
votes
44answers
18k views
What hidden features have you found in iOS 6?
This is the required hidden gems questions for iOS 6.
Here are the rules:
One feature per answer
Also include how you use the feature or why it is useful
Must be an under-documented feature. No ...
43
votes
5answers
21k views
How do I run an app in Full Screen mode on OS X Lion on my second monitor?
How do I get an app to run in Full Screen mode on OS X Lion on my second monitor? It seems to be stuck on my first monitor, and I'd like to move it.
43
votes
3answers
5k views
Can I disable the Lion animation when switching to/from fullscreen apps?
In Lion there is an animation when switching to and from full screen applications. Full screen apps are great, especially on a 11" screen, but this animation is getting very annoying. Is there a way ...
42
votes
4answers
2k views
Where did the ~/Library folder go in Lion?
I just installed Lion, and I can't find the Library folder in my user folder.
Does the folder no longer exist? If it doesn't, where are my preferences? If it does, how do I get to it?
41
votes
12answers
4k views
How long can I expect my system to be unusable during an upgrade to OS X Lion?
I just downloaded Lion and am pretty eager to install it, but I can use every minute I have, so I'd rather not install it now if it means my system is unusable for 30+ minutes.
How long should I ...
41
votes
8answers
13k views
Can I make a DIY Fusion Drive?
I have a Mac Mini with two drives: a 256GB SSD and a 500GB HDD. From what I've read, the new Fusion Drive does all of it's magic in software, using the Core Storage APIs.
Can I get my setup to ...
41
votes
7answers
31k views
Why won't closing the lid sleep my MacBook Pro with external monitor attached after upgrading to Lion?
Up until yesterday (with Snow Leopard), closing the lid would cause my MacBook to sleep whether or not the external monitor was connected.
Since upgrading to Lion last night, closing the lid when the ...
40
votes
3answers
2k views
Consequences of deleting .DS_Store
If I manually delete a .DS_Store file from a directory, what's the worst that can happen? What important information might I lose?
40
votes
7answers
21k views
I am missing the option to see the remaining battery life as time in the menubar?
In previous versions of OS X the battery indicator in the menubar included options to show the remaining battery life as percentage or time (or nothing).
In Mountain Lion, there's only an option to ...
40
votes
4answers
5k views
How do I disable or get rid of the startup sound my Mac makes?
Everytime I turn on my Macbook Pro it makes a start up noise. This is annoying since there is no volume or ability to turn it off. I just don't want the sound to play at all.
How do I disable this ...
39
votes
5answers
5k views
What's the quickest way to get a graphic on the clipboard saved to disk?
I have a graphic on the clipboard on OS X.
What's the quickest way to get it onto disk as a png or jpg?
39
votes
13answers
25k views
Is there a Mac OS X Terminal version of the “free” command in Linux systems?
On Linux, I often use the free command to see the current amount of free and used memory in the system. For example:
$ free
total used free shared buffers cached
...
36
votes
5answers
3k views
Do Macs need to be defragmented?
I don't see any application to defragment my Mac (running OS X).
Is defragmenting not necessary for Mac OS X? If so, why not?
35
votes
41answers
6k views
What are some undocumented iPhone features?
With included documentation as sparse as Apple's, there are plenty of them...
35
votes
20answers
11k views
Know of any features or tips and tricks in OS X 10.7 (Lion)?
Kind of like this: Got any Mac OS X hidden features or nice tips & tricks? but specific to OS X Lion 10.7.x ONLY
Do you know any hidden or little-known nice feature of OS X 10.7 (Lion)? It ...
34
votes
6answers
12k views
How do I disable Chrome's two-finger back/forward navigation?
In dev builds of Chrome, they've implemented, refined, and released two-finger swipes left/right in order to browse back/forward in the browser history. Unfortunately, you can accidentally trigger it ...
33
votes
19answers
23k 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 ...
33
votes
2answers
8k views
What do I type to produce the command symbol (⌘) in Mac OS X?
What combination of keys do I press to produce the command symbol (⌘) on Mac OS X?
(I copied the above symbol from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Command_key.)
32
votes
12answers
6k views
Keyboard shortcut for restoring applications from the Mac OS X Dock?
Is there a keyboard shortcut to restore a minimised application window from the Dock?
Almost all Apple Mac OSX applications respond to the Apple + M command which minimises the current application ...
32
votes
7answers
11k views
How to simulate slow internet connections on the mac
What's a good software solution to slow down internet connections on the mac for testing and simulations?
My primary need is when testing code in the iPhone / iOS simulator, so slowing down the ...
32
votes
8answers
6k views
Why is it not possible to use the “cut” command to manipulate a file in the Finder?
I don't seem to be able to us the "Cut" command on a file in the Finder, like you can do in Windows Explorer on Microsoft Windows. (In Windows, once you select a file and "cut" it, you can then move ...
32
votes
4answers
140k views
Is there an iMessage client for Windows?
My wife's iPhone has iOS 5 and hence iMessage installed. I would like to be able to chat with her using my Windows computer. What options are available for this? Is there a Windows client or any ...
31
votes
31answers
7k views
What are your favorite Mac OS X keyboard shortcuts?
What are your favorite keyboard shortcuts on Mac OS X?
31
votes
6answers
25k views
Should I disconnect my MacBook Pro's power cord when the battery is fully charged?
Title says all. My friend told me that I need to disconnect the power cord when the battery is fully charged. Otherwise, I will shorten the life of the battery.
Is that true? I am going to use my ...
31
votes
5answers
62k views
How can I mount an ext4 file system on OS X?
Is there a safe, stable application for reading from and writing to ext4 file systems on Mac OS X? If not, what's the best way to access the contents of an ext4 file system on Mac OS X?
31
votes
7answers
30k views
How do I turn off App Store notifications in Mountain Lion
The App Store on Mountain Lion pushes update notifications through Notification Center. Unfortunately, this also happens for users that are not system administrators (and so cannot run the App Store). ...
30
votes
6answers
17k views
How to remove unused MacPorts packages?
Whenever I install a program via MacPorts, it gets and installs lots of dependencies. When I uninstall said program, how do I make MacPorts recursively remove all unused dependencies with it?
30
votes
7answers
12k views
What is the difference between iTerm2 and Terminal?
I keep hearing that iTerm2 is much better than Terminal. I downloaded iTerm2 today and played around with it, but I couldn't see what is so much better about iTerm2. iTerm2 seemed just like Terminal.
...
30
votes
4answers
30k views
How do I install GCC via Homebrew?
I am using Homebrew exclusively (i.e. I don’t, and won’t, use MacPorts or Fink). I also want to keep manual installations to a bare minimum.1
… But how can I install GCC?
First of all, I’ve of ...
30
votes
5answers
8k views
How do I remove duplicate “Open With” context menu items in Finder.app?
For whatever reason, the "Open With" context menu in Finder is always listing every app four times (exactly).
I've read about (and tried) rebuilding the Launch Services database to restore the ...
30
votes
11answers
15k views
MacBook Retina Display for coding
This is a question that could be better on Stack Overflow or Programmers, but I thought I'd try it here first.
As a programmer, I need lots of screen real-estate for the IDE and files that I'm ...
29
votes
86answers
3k views
What iPhone apps can't you live without? [closed]
What are your "must-have" iPhone or iPod touch apps—the ones you can't live without? (Figuratively speaking, I hope.) Please omit apps that come pre-installed.
Rules
One app per answer.
Use this ...
29
votes
12answers
18k views
Why would I disable swap file in Mac OS X?
I came across a thread about installing an SSD drive in MacBook Pro.
Someone in the comments also recommended to disable the swap file but didn't say why:
sudo launchctl unload -w ...
29
votes
3answers
10k views
Is there no such thing as Microsoft Internet Explorer for Mac OS X?
This is my first Mac and I'm wondering: is there no Microsoft Internet Explorer for Mac OS X?
I am a web developer and I need IE (not really lol) but so as I Google it, I see some questionable ...
29
votes
5answers
2k views
Is my Mac infected with the Flashback trojan?
I own a 2011 model of MacBook Pro with a Core i7 processor and Snow Leopard. I have found out there is a trojan horse which now controls 600,000 Macs.
How can I find out if my MacBook is being ...
29
votes
12answers
36k views
What's the best NAS for home usage with Macs?
Please share your experiences and reviews about NAS (Network-Attached Storage) below. In particular, rate their compatibility with Macs, OS X, iTunes, Time Machine, AppleTV, and other Apple-specific ...
