macOS command line

a

  afconvert Audio File Convert

  afinfo    Audio File Info

  afplay    Audio File Play

  airport   Manage Apple AirPort

  alias     Create an alias •

  alloc     List used and free memory

  apropos   Search the whatis database for strings

  asr       Apple Software Restore

  atsutil   Font registration system utility

  awk       Find and Replace text within file(s)

b

  basename  Convert a full pathname to just a filename

  bash      Bourne-Again SHell

  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 For, While, Until or Select loop •

  builtin   Execute a shell builtin .

  bzip2     Compress or decompress files

c

  caffeinate Prevent the system from sleeping

  cal       Display a calendar

  calendar  Reminder Service

  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 Directory •

  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     Print CRC checksum and byte counts

  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

  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 System Integrity Protection (SIP)

  curl      Transfer data  from or to a server

  cut       Divide a file into several parts

d

  date      Display or change the date & time

  dc        Desk Calculator

  dd        Convert and copy a file, clone disks

  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       DNS lookup

  dirname   Convert a full pathname to just a path

  dirs      Display list of remembered directories •

  diskutil  Disk utilities - Format, Verify, Repair

  disown    Unbind a job from the current login session •

  ditto     Copy files and folders

  dot_clean Remove dot-underscore files

  drutil    Interact with CD/DVD burners

  dscacheutil  Query or flush the Directory Service/DNS cache

  dseditgroup  Edit, create, manipulate, or delete groups

  dsenableroot Enable root access

  dsmemberutil View user and groups rights

  dscl      Directory Service command line utility

  du        Estimate file space usage

e

  echo      Display text on screen •

  ed        A line-oriented text editor (edlin)

  enable    Enable and disable builtin shell commands •

  env       List or Set environment variables

  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 AppleScript

  export    Set an environment variable •

  expr      Evaluate expressions

f

  false     Do nothing, unsuccessfully

  fc        Fix command (history)

  fdisk     Partition table manipulator for Darwin UFS/HFS/DOS

  fdesetup  FileVault configuration, list FileVault users

  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

  fsaclctl  Filesystem enable/disable ACL support

  fs_usage  Filesystem usage (process/pathname)

  ftp       Internet file transfer program

  function  Define Function Macros

  fuser     List processes that have one or more files open

g

  GetFileInfo Get attributes of HFS+ files

  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

h

  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 History •

  hostname  Print or set system name

i

  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 CPU and i/o statistics

  ipconfig  View and control IP configuration state

  info      Help info

  install   Copy files and set attributes

  iosnoop   Snoop I/O events as they occur

j

  jobs      List active jobs •

  join      Join lines on a common field

k

  kextfind  List kernel extensions

  kextstat  Display status of loaded kernel extensions (kexts)

  kextunload Terminate driver instances and unload kernel extensions.

  kickstart Configure Apple Remote Desktop

  kill      Kill a process by specifying its PID

  killall   Kill processes by name

l

  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 Launch Services database

  lsbom     List a bill of materials file

  lsof      List open files

m

  man       Help manual

  mdfind    Spotlight search

  mdutil    Manage Spotlight metadata store

  mkdir     Create new folder(s)

  mkfifo    Make FIFOs (named pipes)

  more      Display output one screen at a time

  mount     Mount a file system

  mv        Move or rename files or directories

n

  nano      Simple text editor

  nc/netcat Read and write data across networks

  net       Manage network resources

  netstat   Show network status

  networksetup Network and System Preferences

  nice      Set the priority of a command

  nohup     Run a command immune to hangups

  ntfs.util NTFS file system utility

o

  onintr    Control the action of a shell interrupt

  open      Open a file/folder/URL/Application

  opensnoop Snoop file opens as they occur

  osacompile Compile Applescript

  osascript Execute AppleScript

p

  passwd    Modify a user password

  paste     Merge lines of files

  pbcopy    Copy data to the clipboard

  pbpaste   Paste data from the Clipboard

  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 macOS Installer component package

  pkgutil   Query and manipulate installed packages

  plutil    Property list utility

  pmset     Power Management settings

  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       Print Working Directory •

q

  quota     Display disk usage and limits

r

  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

  ReportCrash Enable/Disable crash reporting

  return    Exit a function •

  rev       Reverse lines of a file

  rm        Remove files

  rmdir     Remove folder(s)

  rpm       Remote Package Manager

  rsync     Remote file copy - Sync file tree

s

  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 Keychains, keys, certificates and the Security framework

  sed       Stream Editor

  select    Generate a list of items •

  serverinfo Server information

  set       Set a shell variable = value •

  setfile   Set attributes of HFS+ files

  sharing   Create share points for afp, ftp and smb services

  shasum    Print or Check SHA Checksums

  shift     Shift positional parameters •

  shopt     Set shell options •

  shutdown  Shutdown or restart macOS

  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/Gatekeeper

  split     Split a file into fixed-size pieces

  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 macOS operating system version

  system_profiler  Report system configuration

  systemsetup Computer and display system settings

t

  tail      Output the last part of files

  tar       Tape ARchiver

  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 (Doc,html,rtf)

  time      Measure Program Resource Use

  times     Print shell & shell process times •

  tmutil    Time Machine utility

  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 Route to Host

  true      Do nothing, successfully

  tty       Print filename of terminal on stdin

  type      Describe a command •

u

  ufs.util  Mount/unmount UFS file system

  ulimit    limit the use of system-wide resources •

  umask     Users file creation mask

  umount    Unmount a device

  unalias   Remove an alias •

  uname     Print system information

  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

  uuencode  Encode a binary file

  uudecode  Decode a file created by uuencode

  uuidgen   Generate a Unique ID (UUID/GUID)

  uucp      Unix to Unix copy

v

  vi        Text Editor

w

  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

x

  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

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