| Terminal command | description |
|---|---|
| afconvert | Audio |
| afinfo | Audio |
| afplay | Audio |
| airport | Manage |
| alias | Create an alias |
| alloc | List used and free memory |
| apropos | Search the whatis database for strings |
| asr | Apple |
| atsutil | Font registration system utility |
| awk | Find and |
| basename | Convert a full pathname to just a filename |
| bash | Bourne- |
| bg | Send to background |
| bind | Set or display readline key and function bindings |
| bless | Set volume bootability and startup disk options |
| break | Exit from a |
| builtin | Execute a shell builtin |
| bzip2 | Compress or decompress files |
| caffeinate | Prevent the system from sleeping |
| cal | Display a calendar |
| calendar | Reminder |
| caller | Return the context of a subroutine call |
| cancel | Cancel print jobs |
| case | Conditionally perform a command |
| cat | Concatenate and print (display) the content of files |
| cd | Change |
| chflags | Change a file or folder's flags |
| chgrp | Change group ownership |
| chmod | Change access permissions |
| chown | Change file owner and group |
| chroot | Run a command with a different root directory |
| cksum | |
| clear | Clear terminal screen |
| cmp | Compare two files |
| comm | Compare two sorted files line by line |
| command | Run a command (not a function) |
| complete | Edit a command completion [word/pattern/list] |
| continue | Resume the next iteration of a loop |
| cp | Copy one or more files to another location |
| cpio | Copy files to and from archives |
| cron | Daemon to execute scheduled commands |
| crontab | Schedule a command to run at a later date/time |
| csplit | Split a file into context-determined pieces |
| csrutil | Configure |
| cupsfilter | Convert a file to another format using cups filters |
| curl | Transfer data from or to a server |
| cut | Divide a file into several parts |
| date | Display or change the date & time |
| dc | Desk |
| dd | Data |
| declare | Declare variable & set attributes |
| defaults | Set preferences, show hidden files |
| df | Display free disk space |
| diff | Display the differences between two files |
| diff3 | Show differences among three files |
| dig | D |
| dirname | Convert a full pathname to just a path |
| dirs | Display list of remembered directories |
| diskutil | Disk utilities - |
| disown | Unbind a job from the current login session |
| ditto | Copy files and folders |
| dot_clean | Remove dot-underscore files |
| drutil | Interact with |
| dscacheutil | Query or flush the |
| dseditgroup | Edit, create, manipulate, or delete groups |
| dsenableroot | Enable root access |
| dsmemberutil | View user and groups rights |
| dscl | Directory |
| du | Estimate file space usage |
| echo | Display text on screen |
| ed | A line-oriented text editor (edlin) |
| enable | Enable and disable builtin shell commands |
| env | List or |
| eval | Evaluate several commands/arguments |
| exec | Execute a command |
| exit | Exit the shell |
| execsnoop | Snoop new process execution |
| expand | Convert tabs to spaces |
| expect | Programmed dialogue with interactive programs |
| Also see | Also see |
| export | Set an environment variable |
| expr | Evaluate expressions |
| false | Do nothing, unsuccessfully |
| fc | Fix command (history) |
| fdisk | Partition table manipulator for |
| fdesetup | File |
| fg | Send job to foreground |
| file | Determine file type |
| find | Search for files that meet a desired criteria |
| fmt | Reformat paragraph text |
| fold | Wrap text to fit a specified width |
| for | Loop command |
| fsck | Filesystem consistency check and repair |
| fs_usage | Filesystem usage (process/pathname) |
| ftp | Internet file transfer program |
| function | Define |
| fuser | List processes that have one or more files open |
| Get | Get |
| getopt | Parse positional parameters |
| getopts | Parse positional parameters |
| goto | Jump to label and continue execution |
| grep | Search file(s) for lines that match a given pattern |
| groups | Print group names a user is in |
| gzip | Compress or decompress files |
| halt | Stop and restart the operating system |
| hash | Refresh the cached/remembered location of commands |
| head | Display the first lines of a file |
| hdiutil | Manipulate iso disk images |
| history | Command |
| hostname | Print or set system name |
| iconv | Convert the character set of a file |
| id | Print user and group names/id's |
| if | Conditionally perform a command |
| ifconfig | Configure network interface parameters |
| iostat | Report |
| ipconfig | View and control |
| info | Help info |
| install | Copy files and set attributes |
| iosnoop | Snoop |
| jobs | List active jobs |
| join | Join lines on a common field |
| kextfind | List kernel extensions |
| kextstat | Display status of loaded kernel extensions (kexts) |
| kextunload | Terminate driver instances and unload kernel extensions. |
| kickstart | Configure |
| kill | Kill a process by specifying its |
| killall | Kill processes by name |
| l | List files in long format (ls -l) |
| last | Indicate last logins of users and ttys |
| launchctl | Load or unload daemons/agents |
| ll | List files in long format, showing invisible files (ls -la) |
| less | Display output one screen at a time |
| let | Evaluate expression |
| lipo | Convert a universal binary |
| ln | Make links between files (hard links, symbolic links) |
| local | Set a local (function) variable |
| locate | Find files |
| logname | Print current login name |
| login | Log into the computer |
| logout | Exit a login shell (bye) |
| look | Display lines beginning with a given string |
| lp | Print files |
| lpr | Print files |
| lprm | Remove jobs from the print queue |
| lpstat | Printer status information |
| ls | List information about file(s) |
| lsregister | Reset the |
| lsbom | List a bill of materials file |
| lsof | List open files |
| man | Help manual |
| mdfind | Spotlight search |
| mdutil | Manage |
| mkdir | Create new folder(s) |
| mkfifo | Make |
| mkfile | Make a file |
| mktemp | Make a temporary file |
| more | Display output one screen at a time |
| mount | Mount a file system |
| mv | Move or rename files or directories |
| nano | Simple text editor |
| nc/netcat | Read and write data across networks |
| net | Manage network resources |
| netstat | Show network status |
| networksetup | Network and |
| nice | Set the priority of a command |
| nohup | Run a command immune to hangups |
| ntfs.util | N |
| nvram | Manipulate firmware variables |
| onintr | Control the action of a shell interrupt |
| open | Open a file/folder/ |
| opensnoop | Snoop file opens as they occur |
| openssl | Open |
| osacompile | Compile |
| osascript | Execute |
| passwd | Modify a user password |
| paste | Merge lines of files |
| pbcopy | Copy data to the clipboard |
| pbpaste | Paste data from the |
| pgrep | List processes by a full or partial name |
| ping | Test a network connection |
| pkill | Kill processes by a full or partial name |
| pkgbuild | Build a mac |
| pkgutil | Query and manipulate installed packages |
| plutil | Property list utility |
| pmset | Power |
| popd | Restore the previous value of the current directory |
| pr | Convert text files for printing |
| printenv | List environment variables |
| printf | Format and print data |
| ps | Process status |
| pushd | Save and then change the current directory |
| pwd | |
| quota | Display disk usage and limits |
| rcp | Copy files between machines |
| read | Read one line from standard input |
| readonly | Mark a variable or function as read-only |
| reboot | Stop and restart the system |
| Report | Report |
| return | Exit a function |
| rev | Reverse lines of a file |
| rm | Remove files |
| rmdir | Remove folder(s) |
| rpm | Remote |
| rsync | Remote file copy - |
| say | Convert text to audible speech |
| screen | Multiplex terminal, run remote shells via ssh |
| screencapture | Capture screen image to file or disk |
| scselect | Switch between network locations |
| scutil | Manage system configuration parameters |
| sdiff | Merge two files interactively |
| security | Administer |
| sed | Stream |
| select | Generate a list of items |
| serverinfo | Server information |
| set | Set a shell variable = value |
| setfile | Set attributes of |
| sharing | Create share points for afp, ftp and smb services |
| shasum | Print or |
| shift | Shift positional parameters |
| shopt | Set shell options |
| shutdown | Shutdown or restart mac |
| sips | Scriptable image processing system |
| sleep | Delay for a specified time |
| softwareupdate | System software update tool |
| sort | Sort text files |
| source | Execute commands from a file |
| spctl | Security assessment policy/ |
| split | Split a file into fixed-size pieces |
| sqlite3 | S |
| srm | Securely remove files or directories |
| stat | Display the status of a file |
| stop | Stop a job or process |
| su | Substitute user identity |
| sudo | Execute a command as another user |
| sum | Print a checksum for a file |
| suspend | Suspend execution of this shell |
| sw_vers | Print mac |
| sysctl | Get or set kernel state |
| system_profiler | Report system configuration |
| systemsetup | Computer and display system settings |
| tail | Output the last part of files |
| tar | Tape |
| tccutil | Manage the privacy database |
| tcpdump | Dump traffic on a network |
| tee | Redirect output to multiple files |
| test | Condition evaluation |
| textutil | Manipulate text files in various formats ( |
| time | Measure |
| times | Print shell & shell process times |
| tmutil | Time |
| top | Display process information |
| touch | Change file timestamps |
| tput | Set terminal-dependent capabilities, color, position |
| tr | Translate, squeeze, and/or delete characters |
| trap | Execute a command when the shell receives a signal |
| traceroute | Trace |
| trimforce | Enable |
| true | Do nothing, successfully |
| tty | Print filename of terminal on stdin |
| type | Describe a command |
| ufs.util | Mount/unmount |
| ulimit | Limit the use of system-wide resources |
| umask | Users file creation mask |
| umount | Unmount a device |
| unalias | Remove an alias |
| uname | Print the |
| unexpand | Convert spaces to tabs |
| uniq | Uniquify files |
| units | Convert units from one scale to another |
| unset | Remove variable or function names |
| until | Loop command |
| uptime | Show how long system has been running |
| users | Print login names of users currently logged in |
| until | Execute commands (until error) |
| uuencode | Encode a binary file |
| uudecode | Decode a file created by uuencode |
| uuidgen | Generate a |
| uucp | Unix to |
| vi | Text |
| w | Show who is logged on and what they are doing |
| wait | Wait for a process to complete |
| wall | Write a message to users |
| wc | Print byte, word, and line counts |
| whatis | Search the whatis database for complete words |
| whereis | Locate a program |
| which | Locate a program file in the user's path |
| while | Loop command |
| who | Print all usernames currently logged on |
| whoami | Print the current user id and name (`id -un') |
| write | Send a message to another user |
| xargs | Execute utility - passing arguments |
| xattr | Display and manipulate extended attributes |
| xcode-select --install | Install the command line developer tools |
| youtube-dl | Download video |
| yes | Print a string until interrupted |
| zip | Package and compress (archive) files. |
| !! | Run the last command again |
macOS List of Terminal Commands
useful when working with Terminal