Reference for commands/utilities for use in CLI on Unix and Mac OS X

Bash Notes

# use:
# .bash_profile		- only gets executed for login bash shells
# .bashrc			- only gets executed for NON-login bash shells for only NON-login shells
# .profile			- gets executed for ANY login shell
# .bash_logout		- only gets executed for bash shells after logout


# Sets the prompt:
#PS1='\h:\w \u\$ '
#PS2='> '

#PS1='[\!] \h:\w \$ '

# \a - The ASCII bell character (you can also type \007)
# \d - Date in "Wed Sep 06" format
# \e - ASCII escape character (you can also type \033)
# \h - First part of hostname (such as "mybox")
# \H - Full hostname (such as "mybox.mydomain.com")
# \j - The number of processes you've suspended in this shell by hitting ^Z
# \l - The name of the shell's terminal device (such as "ttyp4")
# \n - Newline
# \r - Carriage return
# \s - The name of the shell executable (such as "bash")
# \t - Time in 24-hour format (such as "23:01:01")
# \T - Time in 12-hour format (such as "11:01:01")
# \@ - Time in 12-hour format with am/pm
# \u - Your username
# \v - Version of bash (such as 2.04)
# \V - Bash version, including patchlevel
# \w - Current working directory (such as "/home/pravila")
# \W - The "basename" of the current working directory (such as "pravila")
# \! - Current command's position in the history buffer
# \# - Command number (this will count up at each prompt, as long as you type something)
# \$ - If you are not root, inserts a "$"; if you are root, you get a "#"
# \xxx - Inserts an ASCII character based on three-digit number xxx (replace unused digits with zeros, such as "\007")
# \\ - A backslash
# \[ - This sequence should appear before a sequence of characters that don't move the cursor (like color escape sequences). This allows bash to calculate word wrapping correctly.
# \] - This sequence should appear after a sequence of non-printing characters.


# These "defaults" commands help adjust (usually hidden) settings in Mac OS X

# defaults domains
# defaults read [domain]
# defaults read-type [domain] [key]
# defaults delete [domain] [key]

# Dock
# defaults write com.apple.dock no-glass -boolean [yes]					- doesn't use the deafult glass tray look of Leopard when Dock is on the bottom
# defaults write com.apple.dock mineffect -string [suck]				- defines the minimization effect of windows
# defaults write com.apple.dock pinning -string [middle | start | end]	- defines the alignment of the dock
# defaults write com.apple.dock orientation -string [top]				- defines location of the dock
# defaults write com.apple.dock showhidden -boolean [yes]				- enable transparent icons for hidden applications
# defaults write com.apple.dock showshadow -boolean [yes]				- show dock shaddow
# defaults write com.apple.dock AppleShowAllFiles -boolean [yes]		- show hidden items in folders and disks
# defaults write com.apple.dock largesize -int [512]					- change magnification size
# defaults write com.apple.dock single-app -boolean [yes]				- toggles only one program visible (same as Cmd + Opt + clicking a program in the dock)

# Finder
# defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles -boolean [yes]		- show hidden files in finder
# defaults write com.apple.finder ProhibitEmptyTrash -boolean [yes]		- prohibits the Trash from being emptied (prank)
# defaults write com.apple.finder CreateDesktop -int 0					- no icons displayed on desktop (prank)

# Expose
# defaults write com.apple.dock wvous-floater -boolean [yes]			- shows the useless "Expose blob"
# defaults write com.apple.dock wvous-showcorners -boolean [yes]		- shows the active screen corners of Expose
# defaults write com.apple.dock wvous-olddesktop -boolean [no]			- defines the "desktop" feature of Expose (buggy)

# Dashboard
# defaults write com.apple.dashboard mcx-disabled -boolean [yes]		- disables the dashboard

# Safari
# defaults write com.apple.Safari IncludeDebugMenu -bool [yes]			- show Debug menu
# defaults write.com.apple.Safari WebIconDatabaseEnabled -bool NO		- dissable favicons

# iTunes
# defaults write com.apple.iTunes invertStoreLinks -bool YES			- little arrows search your library rather than the Music Store (v4.5)

# Global (USE WITH CAUTION)
# defaults write com.apple.screencapture type -string [extension]			- file type that screen shot is saved as (bmp/gif/jpg/jp2/pdf/pict/png/psd/sgi/tga/tiff)
# defaults write com.apple.screencapture location -string [path]		- location screenshot is saved
# defaults write com.apple.screencapture name -string [name]			- name of file
# killall SystemUIServer; open /System/Library/CoreServices/SystemUIServer.app/
# defaults write -g AppleScrollBarVarient -string DoubleMin				- put both scroll arrows on top (left)
# defaults write -g AppleScrollBarVarient -string DoubeMax				- put both scroll arrows on bottom (right)
# defaults write -g AppleScrollBarVarient -string DoubleBoth			- put both scroll arrows on both sides
# defaults write -g AppleScrollBarVarient -string Single				- put single scroll arrows

# Login Window (USE WITH CAUTION)
# defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow LoginwindowText -string "Login Greeting"
# defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow LoginwindowText-FontSize -int 12
# defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow Kiosk -int 1	- doesn't allow anyone to shutdown/restart/logout (unless: sudo shutdown -h now)
# defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow RetriesUntilHint -int 1		- 0 means won't ever show hints
# defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow DesktopPicture "/Path/to/picture/you/want/to/use/image.jpg"

# (note, you can click on the grayed txt above greeting to see different info about the computer)




# Good Finder Keyboard Shortcuts:

# Ctr+F2				Access Apple Menu Toolbar
# Cmd+Shift+C			Open Computer
# Cmd+Shift+H			Open Home Directory
# Cmd+Shift+A			Open Applications Folder
# Cmd+Shift+U			Open Utilities Folder (Open URL in Camino)
# Cmd+Shift+G			Go to...
# Cmd+Shift+Y			Open up Stickies
# Cmd+Shift+F			Perform Spotlight search on highlighted txt
# Cmd+Shift+L			Open up Safari (searches highlighted txt with Google)
# Cmd+Shift+K			Open Networks
# Cmd+Shift+C			Open Computer
# Cmd+Shift+I			Connect to iDisk
# Cmd+Opt+D				Toggle Dock hiding

# Universal Access
# Cmd+Opt+*				Turn on Zoom
	# Cmd+Opt++			Zoom in
	# Cmd+Opt+-			Zoom out
# Cmd+Opt+Ctr+*			Negative colors on screen
# Ctr+F1				Turn on Full Keyboard Access (allows the following commands):
	# Ctr+F2			Focus to Apple Menu
	# Ctr+F3			Focus to Dock
	# Ctr+F4			Toggle between all windows
	# Ctr+F5			Focus to Toolbar
	# Ctr+F6			Focus to Utility Palette (if open in an application)

# Cmd+D					Duplicate
# Cmd+L					Create an Alias
# Cmd+R					Show Original

# Cmd+Opt+Eject			Sleep
# Cmd+Ctr+Eject			Restart
# Cmd+Opt+Ctr+Eject		Shutdown
# Cmd+Shift+Q			Logout
# Cmd+Opt+Shift+Q		Immediate Logout



# Startup

# Cmd+V			- Verbose Mode: shows console messages during boot & shutdown
# Cmd+S			- Single User Mode
# Shift			- Safe Mode: disables login items and non-essential kernel extensions
# C				- Boot from internal CD-ROM drive
# D				- Boot from internal disc (if the default boot device has been set to something else)
# X				- Force Mac OS X Start up
# N				- Boot from Network
# T				- Boot into Firewire Target Mode (boots as external HD when connected to another machine)
# Mouse Button	- Eject floppy disc before starting up

# Cmd+Opt+O+F	- Boot into "Open Firmware" mode to configure various properties of your system related to booting.
#	ls			- lists the devices below the current node in the device tree (similar to ls in a filesystem)
#	pwd			- lists the location of the current node in the device tree (similar to pwd in a filesystem)
#	printenv	- prints the current and default values of the settings in the Open Firmware environment
#	eject fd	- eject a floppy disk
#	eject cd	- eject the CD-ROM drive
#	shut-down	- permanently store the Open Firmware environment variables and power down the computer
#	mac-boot	- Boot Mac OS on an Open Firmware 3 system



# Classic UNIX multi-user login mode

# At the OS X login window, type
# >console
# for the user and leave the password field blank.




# Hide the menu bar and dock for any application.
# Add the following 2 lines to the "info.plist" of any Cocoa application
# right below the <dict> entry:
#
# <key>LSUIPresentationMode</key>
# <integer>4</integer>



# fs_usage



# tidy
# tidy -ic -asxhtml -wrap 9999 -o out.html in.html
# tidy -ic -asxhtml -wrap 9999 -m replace.html




# System Preference Titles
# /Applications/System Preferences.app/Contents/Resources/English.lproj/NSPrefPaneGroups.strings




# Dock files
# /System/Library/CoreServices/Dock/Contents/Resources



# Extract all the email addresses from the Address Book
# sqlite3 ~/Library/Application\ Support/AddressBook/AddressBook-v22.abcddb "select ZADDRESSNORMALIZED from ZABCDEMAILADDRESS;" | sort | uniq



# Location of the default wallpaper
# /System/Library/CoreServices/DefaultDesktop.jpg




# Terminal login greeting:
# /etc/motd




# Batch changes in vim
# vim -c "argdo %s/ABC/DEF/ge | x" *.c
# vim -e -s file.txt < thefilter




# runs screen saver as desktop (use kill to stop)
# /System/Library/Frameworks/ScreenSaver.framework/Resources/ScreenSaverEngine.app/Contents/MacOS/ScreenSaverEngine -background &




# show your routing table
# netstat -r -f inet -n



# backup
# cd ~/
# rsync -n -auEv --delete --exclude=/.Trash/ --exclude=/Music/ ./ /Volumes/iPaul/bkup/Tiger/ | grep -v "/._" | grep -v "/$" | tee /Volumes/iPaul/bkup/2006.05.08.log



# Show Login Window (Lock Computer)
# /System/Library/CoreServices/Menu\ Extras/User.menu/Contents/Resources/CGSession -suspend



# http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/macosxhints/2007/03/peekinstall/index.php?lsrc=mwrss
# List the contents of an installer file
# (inside the "Content" folder of a package:
#
# lsbom Archive.bom | more
#         or
# gzip -cd archive.pax.gz | pax | more




# Applescript
# do shell script "rsync -aE --delete "What to backup" "Where to backup" || echo -n"



# redirect specific outputs on the command line shell (with sh)
#
# 1>                               stdout
# 2>                               stderr
# 0>                               stdin
#
# ls > file 2>&1                   send stderr (2) to the same place as stdout(1)
# ls 1>file1 2>file2               redirect stdout to file1 and stderr to file2
# ls >&output.txt                  redirect both stdout & stderr
#





# Great system monitoring commands (originally used in Geektool)

# top -FR -cd -o cpu -n 7 -l2 | tail -n14
# ps -racx -o command,%cpu | head -n7 | grep -v '%'
# netstat -ab -f inet | grep -i 'established' | sort +4
# grep -h "^$(date '+%m/%d')" /usr/share/calendar/calendar.* | cut -f2
# ps -arcx -o %cpu,command | awk ' { if (FNR &lt;= 6 &amp;&amp; $1 != "%CPU" &amp;&amp; $1 != "0.0") { printf("%c%c%3.1f%% ", ($1 &lt; 100 ? " " : ""), ($1 &lt; 10 ? " " : ""), $1); for (i= 2; i &lt;= NF; i++) { printf("%s ", $i); } printf("\n"); } }'
# ifconfig | grep "inet [0-9]" | grep -v 127.0.0.1 | awk '{print $2}'; ifconfig | grep "ether" | awk '{print $2}'
# ifconfig en1 | grep " active"     (en1 is usually airport, en0 is ethernet)

# Airport Stregnth meter:
# while x=1; do /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/Current/Resources/airport -I | grep CtlRSSI; sleep 0.5; done
#
# The value is in dBm, which is a logarithmic scale so that an increase of 10
# units means a factor of 10 increase in power; an increase of 20 means a factor
# of 100 increase in power; etc. Watching this reading, I was able to position
# the router and antenna for maximum signal strength at various places in the
# shed. 



# calendar -f /usr/share/calendar/
# /usr/share/misc/



# create iso disk image from file/directory
# hdiutil makehybrid -verbose -iso -joliet -o <target.iso> <directory> 



# Hides a file from showing up in the finder.
# /Developer/Tools/SetFile -a V /Volumes/Untitled/
# /Developer/Tools/SetFile -a v /Volumes/Untitled/



# telnet towel.blinkenlights.nl


# for user installed binaries, put them in /usr/local/bin (and add to PATH)
# man curl_unescape
# man getopt
# man iswalnum, iswalpha, iswascii, iswblank, iswcntrl, iswdigit, iswgraph, iswhexnumber, iswideogram, iswlower, iswnumber, iswphonogram, iswprint, iswpunct, iswrune, iswspace, iswspecial, iswupper, iswxdigit


####### Fricken really useful (and probably not well known) #######

# tidy				- validate, correct, and pretty-print HTML files
# expand/unexpand	- expand tabs to spaces, and vice versa (
# fmt				- simple text formatter
# aspell			- NOT INCLUDED WITH OS
# htpasswd			- Create and update user authentication files

# textutil			- manipulate text files ( textutil -convert html /Users/Paulo/Desktop/ProjectOutline.rtf )
#					                        ( textutil -convert txt /Users/Paulo/Desktop/ProjectOutline.rtf )
# pstopdf			- convert PostScript input into a PDF document
# enscript			- convert text files to PostScript ( enscript -E --color -Whtml --toc -p OUTPUT.html *.h *.c )
#					                                   ( enscript -G2rE -U2 -p OUTPUT.ps INPUT.c )
#					                                   ( enscript -B -E --color -p - INPUT.FILE | pstopdf -i -o OUTPUT.pdf )
#					                                   ( textutil -stdout -convert txt INPUT.rtf | enscript -B -E --color -p - | pstopdf -i -o OUTPUT.pdf )



# lsbom				- list contents of a bom file
# pax				- read and write file archives and copy directory hierarchies


# zipgrep			- search files in a ZIP archive for lines matching a pattern
# sips				- scriptable image processing system

# nmap				- network port scanner (NOT INCLUDED WITH OS)
# vmstat			- display virtual memory statistics (NOT INCLUDED WITH OS)
# readefl			- show information and statistics about a designated elf binary (NOT INCLUDED WITH OS)
# watch				- run a command repeatedly, at specified time intervals (NOT INCLUDED WITH OS)

# size				- print the size of the sections in an object file

# curl				- transfer a URL
# lynx				- NOT INCLUDED WITH OS
# links				- NOT INCLUDED WITH OS

# split				- split a file into pieces
# cat				- concatenate and print files
# cmp				- compare two files byte by byte
# uniq				- report or filter out repeated lines in a file

# bc				- arbitrary precision calculator language
# dc				- an arbitrary precision calculator (reverse-polish)
# units				- conversion program
# expr				- evaluate expression
# look				- display lines beginning with a given string
# dd				- convert and copy a file

# find				- walk a file hierarchy		( find / -name '\.DS_Store' -exec rm -f {} \; )
#												( find ~ -name \.DS_Store )
#												( find ~ -name *\.app -type d )
# tee				- pipe fitting
# strings			- find the printable strings in a object, or other binary, file
# nm				- display name list (symbol table)
# otool				- object file displaying tool

# stat				- display file status
# srm				- securely remove files or directories
# rs				- reshape a data array
# rev				- reverse lines of a file


### Pretty interesting, and maybe even cool, but probably not common for day-to-day use
# lock				- reserve a terminal
# leave				- remind you when you have to leave
# banner			- print large banner on printer
# figlet			- convert text into a signature (NOT INCLUDED WITH OS)
# wait4path			- wait for given path to show up in the namespace

# tiffutil			- manipulates tiff files
# tiff2icns			- converts TIFF to icns format
# ar				- create and maintain library archives
# cscope			- interactively examine a C program
# column			- columnate lists
# apropos			- search the whatis database for strings
# lam				- laminate files

# cut				- select portions of each line of a file
# csplit			- split files based on context
# comm				- select or reject lines common to two files
# colrm				- remove columns from a file
# xmllint			- command line XML tool

# screencapture		- capture and manipulate clipboard contents
# say				- convert text to audible speech

# uptime			- show how long system has been running
# last				- indicate last logins of users and ttys
# dmesg				- display the system message buffer
# ac				- display connect time accounting

# id				- return user identity
# w					- display who is logged in and what they are doing
# who				- display who is on the system
# whoami			- display effect user id
# logname			- display user's login name (maybe different from whoami if su is used)
# finger			- user information lookup program

# hostname			- print the name of current host system
# hostinfo			- host information
# uname				- print Operating System name
# sw_vers			- print Mac OS X operating system version information
# machine			- print machine type
# arch				- print architecture type

# manpath			- format and display the on-line manual pages

# netstat			- show network status
# top				- display and update sorted information about processes
# ps				- process status
# df -h/H			- display free disk space
# du -hd 0			- display disk usage statistics
# lsof				- list open files
# cksum				- display file checksums and block counts

# pbcopy/pbpaste	- provide copying and pasting to the pasteboard (the Clipboard) from command line
#					- pbpaste | wc
#					- pbpaste | xmllint -- noout -		// see if clipboard contents are well XML formed
#					- ls ~/Pictures pbcopy



# Shell										tcsh				bash
# Display all shell variables			set					set
# Create a shell variable				set name value		name=value
# Remove a shell variable				unset name			unset name
# List all environment variables		env					env
# Create an environment variable		setenv name value	export name=value
# Remove an environment variable		unsetenv name		unset name







####### System Tools #######

# mdfind			- finds files matching a given query
# mdls				- lists the metadata attributes for the specified file
# mdutil			- manage the metadata stores used by Spotlight
# mdimport			- import file hierarchies into the metadata datastore

# at				- queue, examine, or delete jobs for later execution
# cron				- daemon to execute scheduled commands (Vixie Cron)
# crontab			- maintain crontab files for individual users
# nice				- execute a utility with an altered scheduling priority

# asr				- Apple Software Restore; copy volumes (e.g. from disk images)
# softwareupdate	- system software update tool
# defaults			- access the Mac OS X user defaults system

# SetFile			- get attributes of files and directories (MAC OS X)
# GetFileInfo		- set attributes of files and directories (MAC OS X)





### Dangerously Administrative
# su				- substitute user identity
# sudo				- execute a command as another user
# passwd			- modify a user's password
# mount				- mount file systems
# logger			- make entries in the system log
# hdiutil			- manipulate disk images (attach, detach, verify, create, convert, burn)
# deafults			- access the Mac OS X user defaults system
# bless				- set volume bootability and startup disk options
# diskutil			- modify, verify and repair local disks
# fdisk				- DOS partition maintenance program
# pmset				- modify power management settings
# shutdown			- close down the system at a given time
# iostat			- report I/O statistics
# quotaon/quotaoff	- turn filesystem quotas on and off
# quota				- display disk usage and limits
# edquota			- edit user quotas
# quot				- display total block usage per user for a file system
# repquota			- summarize quotas for a file system
# pwpolicy			- gets and sets password policies
# leaks				- search a process's memory for unreferenced malloc buffers






####### You really should know these (if not, learn them cause they're good) #######

# grep				- print lines matching a pattern
# awk				- pattern-directed scanning and processing language
# sed				- stream editor
# head				- display first lines of a file
# tail				- display the last part of a file
# diff				- compare files line by line
# diff3				- compare three files line by line

# sftp				- secure file transfer program
# scp				- secure copy (remote file copy program)
# ssh				- OpenSSH SSH client (remote login program)
# rsync				- faster, flexible replacement for rcp
# dig				- DNS lookup utility
# host				- DNS lookup utility
# whois				- Internet domain name and network number directory service

# xxd				- make a hexdump or do the reverse
# time				- time command execution
# file				- determine file type
# jot				- print sequential or random data
# yes				- be repetitively affirmative
# zip/unzip
# gzip/gunzip
# tar
# compress/uncompress

# traceroute		- print the route packets take to network host
# ping				- send ICMP ECHO_REQUEST packets to network hosts
# spray				- send many packets to host

# wc				- word, line, character, and byte count
# date				- display or set date and time
# cal				- displays a calendar
# ditto				- copy files and directories to a destination directory
# pwd				- return working directory name

# jobs/fg/bg		- control process execution
# alias/unalias		- create or remove a pseudonym or shorthand for a command or series of commands
# source			- 

# talk				- talk to another user
# write				- send a message to another user
# wall				- write a message to users
# mesg				- display (do not display) messages from other users

# touch				- change file access and modification times
# sort				- sort lines of text files




# !m
# !-5
# !?-L?!
# ^-l^-la^
# mail email@host.com < message.txt