An A-Z Index of the Apple OS X command line. Source: http://ss64.com/osx/osx/

osx-commands.md

An A-Z Index of the Apple OS X command line

Source: http://ss64.com/osx/osx/

a

• alias Create an alias •
• alloc List used and free memory
• apropos Search the whatis database for strings
• asr Apple Software Restore
• 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 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

• cal Display a calendar
• calendar Reminder Service
• caller Return the context of a subroutine call •
• 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
• 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 •
• expand Convert tabs to spaces
• expect Programmed dialogue with interactive programs

•       Also see [AppleScript][62]
  

• 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
• 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

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
• ipconfig View and control IP configuration state
• info Help info
• install Copy files and set attributes

j

• jobs List active jobs •
• join Join lines on a common field

k

• kextfind List kernel extensions
• kickstart Configure Apple Remote Desktop
• kill Stop a process from running

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
• 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
• 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
• ping Test a network connection
• 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
• 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 (also RsyncX)

s

• say Convert text to audible speech
• screen Multiplex terminal, run remote shells via ssh
• screencapture Capture screen image to file or disk
• 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 •
• set Set a shell variable = value •
• setfile Set attributes of HFS+ files
• shasum Print or Check SHA Checksums
• shift Shift positional parameters •
• shopt Set shell options •
• shutdown Shutdown or restart OS X
• 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 •
• split Split a file into fixed-size pieces
• 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 OS X 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
• 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
• 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 •
• wc Print byte, word, and line counts
• whatis Search the whatis database for complete words
• where Report all known instances of a command
• 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
• yes Print a string until interrupted
• zip Package and compress (archive) files.
• !! Run the last command again

Commands marked • are bash built-in commands. bash is the default shell, it runs under [Darwin][222] the open source core of OS X.

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