By inherence, at some point in your experience, any Mac user has heard of the Terminal app. However, many assume that it is difficult to use it and, ultimately, they prefer not to use it.
Nevertheless, The fact of using the Mac Terminal contemplates different advantages that are summarized in practicality, speed and efficiency for users. Hence, the importance of knowing what it consists of, what its usefulness is and how it works.
That is why, in this post, we will emphasize what is the Mac Terminal and what tasks can you carry out Through her. Well, once you know its functions and learn to use the console, it is likely that make your macOS experience more attractive.
What is the Mac Terminal?
While it is true, Mac Terminal is a program included in all versions of OS X that offers you the possibility of control the computer using the command console. Thus, through this app, users can give instructions to their team from the Command Line. So basically the Mac Terminal consists of the command line system It helps users to manage and take control of the operating system to make changes to it.
With that, user can have , the basis on which it is written. Now, since this MacOS program works through commands, you should keep in mind that, each of them has three components: The command itself (self explanatory)an argument (indicates the source in which it must operate) and an option (these are output modifiers). On the other hand, when using the Mac Terminal, It is vital that you know the basic rules.
Which are synthesized as follows:
- In the terminal commandall characters are relevant (including spaces and commas).
- The commands are executed within a location. Indeed, if you don’t specify one, it will proceed to be set to the recent location automatically.
- You can only navigate using the key Return and the arrow keys on the Terminal. As, can’t use mouse or trackpad inside of her.
Differences between the Mac Terminal and the Windows Terminal
Just like the Windows command line, the Mac Terminal is the command line system which allows you to manage the operating system. However, both utilities They have notable differences between them., because they are different operating systems. Therefore, it is appropriate highlight the main differences between the Mac Terminal and the Windows Terminal so that you can diversify one from the other.
Reason why, below, we mention what they are:
- While, the windows command line It allows have access to w10Terminal macOS offers the possibility of take control of UNIX.
- Unlike the app developed by Microsoft to control the OSMac Terminal it is not a project . But, all files related to Windows Terminal if available on GitHub.
- Although the terminal that comes integrated in Mac OS X works perfectly, actually not very customizable. However, the command line Windows can be customized to suit the user because it supports various configurations.
- In general, for open windows command line often used a only method. while, in order to open the Mac Terminal, exist 6 methods.
MacOS Terminal Utility
Default, the MacOS Terminal is used to carry out a wide range of functions. This means that its uses are truly extensive, which is why it is ideal for taking control of the entire operating system as such. It is even a useful tool at the development level, thanks to the fact that it allows access to the UNIX layer of MacOS and get a long list of the active processes of the Mac.
However, in order to be more precise, below, we let you know what are the main applications, functionalities or uses that are given to the Mac Terminal:
- To work with windows and tabs of Terminal.
- Select and find text in a window of Terminal.
- edit or modify a command line.
- Operate with marks and markers.
- To close an application that is not responding.
- Get information on remote servers.
- Create a bootable USB to install Mac OS X.
- Make the Library folder visible of your OS X user.
- Show hidden folders and files in the operating system.
- Empty the trash can.
- Repair the disc.
- Remove files permanently.
- Change folder permissions.
How to open the command window of my iMac?
As we mentioned before, there are several methods available to open the command window of your Mac or failing that, the Terminal macOS.
Therefore, here we explain how each of them should be implemented so that you can choose the procedure of your choice:
via Finder
This is the most commonly used method to access the Mac Terminal and consists of make use of the system Finder.
Specifically, the step by step to complete is as follows:
- and select the option “To go”.
- Next you have to choose “Utilities”.
- Then look for the option “Terminal” in the list and double click on it.
Using the Launchpad
Another handy method to open Terminal, is . To access this utility, you can do or with the keyboard shortcut “Fn + F4”.
So, do the following to enter the Terminal app:
- After opening the launch pad (however you chose to do it), find and enter the folder “Others”.
- Subsequently, look for the Terminal app which, by default, is located there and click on it.
From the Applications folder
Either through the Search Engine or with a shortcutyou may open the Applications folder to be able to find the Terminal.
Specifically, the procedure consists of the following:
- Open Finder and through the left side panel, click on the option “Applications”. Failing that, locate the Applications folder with its shortcut on your Mac.
- After accessing Applications, proceed to expand the Utilities folder on top.
- Next, in the list that you will see below, Search and click on “Terminal”by double-clicking to open the said utility.
With Spotlight
Definitely one of the fastest ways to open Terminal on Mac es , a desktop search system and launched applications that help you be more productive with your computer Manzana.
Here’s how to use Spotlight to open Terminal on a Mac:
- First of all, use the keyboard shortcut “Command + Space” to open Spotlight. Failing that, click directly on the search button of the Flashlight.
- Now it’s time to introduce the term “Terminal” in the search field at the top left.
- Once the system shows you the utility Terminal in the result, double click on the option to be able to open it.
Creating a Shortcut to Terminal
If you choose create a shortcut to Terminalit will be much more practical to access this tool macOS on future occasions. That is why, if you plan to use the Terminal frequently, we suggest you create a shortcut in the Dock or on the desktop for said app.
Here, we will show you how you can do it easily:
- From the Recent apps in the Dock or in Utilities, search for the app “Terminal”.
- Then, click on said app and proceed to right click on it.
- Using the pop-up window, move the pointer over “Options”.
- Following this, all that remains is to select the option of your preference; either “Keep it in the Dock”, “Open at login” either “Show in Finder”.
With the help of Siri
So like on iPhone and iPadthe users of Mac can also make use of Siri to locate anything on your Mac computer. Indeed, it is possible to take advantage of this Apple utility to find and open the MacOS Terminal.
Next, we show you step by step how it is done:
- start with open siri. Either by holding down the microphone key, saying “hey siri” or by clicking “Siri” from the menu bar.
- After that, in front of your computer and out loud, you have to pronounce the following “open Terminal”.
- Automatically, the virtual assistant will do its job and will open the Terminal app on your computer.
List of the most useful MacOS commands
It is essential that you know what the commands plus practical and useful to implement in MacOS from this utility.
As a result, here we present 5 commands that you should not stop using on your Apple computer:
rm – Delete all files in a certain folder
Roughly speaking, the command used to delete files in Terminal is “rm”. Which, basically, takes care of deleting all the files and subfolders in a specific directory. For example, if you want to delete all items in a directory called “oldfolder”specifically, the command you have to use in the Mac Terminal is: rm –R oldfolder. Also, to make confirmation that each file is deleted, the command used is: rm –iR oldfolder.
diskutil – Wipe free space securely
The diskutil command is another of the most useful, thanks to the fact that it offers the possibility of managing local disks and volumes directly from the Terminal. In this case, it helps to remove files from Mac leaving no remaining fragments on a hard drive, in order to do it safely. At the time of use, the correct way is as follows: diskutil secureErase freespace 3 /Volumes/name-of-drive. Notably, you have to replace the part of “/name-of-drive” by the drive you want to erase.
mv – Move files from one directory to another
Basically the command “mv” Mac Terminal means “to move” and therefore can be used to move files from one directory to another. Which is much more practical and faster.
In this case, specifically, the command is used like this: mv ~/Documents/TerminalTest TerminalTestFile.rtf ~/Documents/TerminalTest2 TerminalTestFile.rtf. Taking into account that, you must replace “TerminalTestFile” by the names of the files you want to move and also define the other directory before typing the second occurrence of the name.
ls – List the contents of a directory
If you need view the contents of a folder in detailyou can do it easily via the command “$ ls”.
Which presents other specific variants that allow you to get the most out of it and these are:
- View the contents of a directory in form of ready: $ ls –l.
- See all files (including hidden ones): $ ls –a.
- View the folder as a list and also see all Hidden files: $ ls –la.
ditto – Copy and paste files between directories intelligently
The ditto command is one of the most advanced which you can use in the Mac Terminal. Basically, it has the ability to copy and paste files between directories…
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