Console Commands For Mac
To use nuget.exe CLI commands in the console, see Using the nuget.exe CLI in the console. The console is built into Visual Studio on Windows. It is not included with Visual Studio for Mac or Visual Studio Code. Find and install a package. For example, finding and installing a package is done with three easy steps: Open the project/solution in. Below is a list of all XCOM 2 console commands from the latest version of the game. These XCOM 2 cheat codes work with the console for all PC / Mac versions of the game including the Steam and non-Steam versions. Commands from all official DLCs (such as War of the Chosen) are also included. The console in XCOM 2 can be enabled by adding.
For those who have never used Terminal commands on Mac before, the app’s resemblance to hacking (as seen in movies) can be a little intimidating. But in fact, Terminal isn’t all that complicated once you know a little about how it works.
Many commands are surprisingly straightforward, such as how to open a file in Terminal and the dangerously powerful (since it bypasses the Trash) Terminal delete file capability:
open ~/Desktop/filename.extension
rm filename.extension
The rm stands for remove, so use with caution!
For another example, let’s look at how to create a folder on Mac. Using Finder, this would simply be a case of right-clicking and choosing New Folder. When it comes to how to make a directory in Terminal, we’d need to use a specific command:
mkdir 'new folder'
The Terminal window itself is designed to grant users access to UNIX features hidden away behind the Mac operating system. But you don’t need to learn about all of the technical stuff if you don’t want to. All you need to know is that a bit of Mac command line rote learning can help you do all sorts of cool things with your laptop or desktop that you couldn’t achieve otherwise.
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8 Best Terminal Commands For Mac
Of course, defining the best Terminal commands for Mac really depends on what you want to get out of this tool. First things first though, to start you need to know how to open command prompt on Mac because you can’t use any Terminal commands without it:
Double-click your Macintosh HD icon or open a Finder window
Make your way into the Applications folder
Double-click Utilities and open Terminal
You’ll be met with a window that shows the name of your Mac followed by your username and a $ sign. All of the Mac Terminal commands listed here are entered after this, followed by a press or two of the Return key.
Actually using the app may be a bit tricky if you’ve never done so before, but at least the question of how to open Terminal on Mac is easy to answer. Pay attention going forward!
1. Show or hide files and folders
One of the easier, and most useful, commands to use in conjunction with Mac command line is the one that reveals hidden files and folders in macOS:
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles -bool TRUE
killall Finder
Now you can edit and delete files that were previously inaccessible. When you want to hide these files again, just change the TRUE above to FALSE and repeat the process.
2. Duplicate files between folders
Rather than dragging and dropping or copying files between folders, you can use Ditto Terminal command on Mac to achieve the same result:
Ditto [original folder] [new folder]
If you have folders in different locations with the same name, you can type -v after Ditto to display each item’s file path using the verbose mode of Mac Terminal.
3. Change default screenshot settings
Tired of clogging up your desktop with screenshots? Terminal on Mac offers an easy fix for that with the option to set a new location for screenshots to be saved. Just enter the following:
defaults write com.apple.screencapture location ~/your/desired/location
killall SystemUIServer
You can also change the default file format (PNG) if you want to generate screenshots as JPEGs or PDFs instead:
defaults write com.apple.screencapture type jpg
4. Improve the screenshot process
If you take a lot of screenshots on your Mac, you might have noticed that it automatically adds a drop shadow to screenshotted windows. If you’d prefer to turn these shadows off, you can do so with the following Mac commands:
$ defaults write com.apple.screencapture disable-shadow -bool TRUE
killall SystemUIServer
To further customize how screenshots appear on your Mac, you could look at CleanShot. This app allows you to capture your Mac’s screen without the distraction of desktop icons, set custom wallpapers on the background, and annotate or blur certain parts of the image.
After taking a screenshot with CleanShot, a small popup window allows you to tweak the appearance of your capture — such as adding shapes, text, or pixelating parts of the image — before you share it anywhere using a layout similar to the simple and intuitive actions in Preview.
5. Download files without using your browser
The art of downloading files without using a web browser is familiar to any millennials who risked malware and viruses to download their favorite tracks from Limewire or Kazaa, but may be unheard of to others. Firealpaca download.
A nifty Mac command line trick exists for downloading files without using your web browser if you already know the location of the file. The command is as follows:
cd ~/Downloads/
curl -O http://website.com/folder/file..
The first part is a crash course in how to change directory in Terminal, as that’s what the cd stands for. So by re-reading the example above, you can see that the file will appear in your Downloads folder when it’s finished downloading.
6. Keep your Mac awake
Overriding your Mac’s default sleep settings (available via System Preferences ➙ Energy Saver) is a breeze using one of Terminal’s more humorous Mac commands. Apparently, like so many people out there, Macs run on coffee:
caffeinate -u -t [number of seconds to remain active]
If you’d rather not launch Terminal every time you need to keep your Mac awake, there’s an app out there called Lungo that lives in your menu bar and builds on the coffee theme. Just select the cup icon in the top right corner of your screen and you can keep your Mac awake for 10 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 4 hours, or indefinitely with a single click.
7. View the contents of any folder or file
If one of your files gets corrupted, or you suspect there’s a hidden message tucked away somewhere inside its package, you can use the Terminal window to see some details about it:
cat ~/file/path/here
The command will throw out a bunch of indecipherable nonsense if you try to use it on something like an image or an audio file, but it could be a lifesaver when recovering text from a corrupted Word document, for example.
8. Hide inactive apps in Dock and dull hidden ones
Accruing more and more apps in your Dock is pretty much par for the course when you use a Mac for any significant length of time. So a good-to-know Terminal command here is the one that makes your Dock embrace a minimal approach by showing only active apps:
defaults write com.apple.dock static-only -bool TRUE
killall Dock
If you want to take this process even further, you can dim apps that aren’t visible on your monitor(s):
defaults write com.apple.Dock showhidden -bool TRUE
killall Dock
Another easier option for those with the cluttered Dock is to check out uBar, a simple and minimal replacement. Instead of a long line of icons, you can now have a highly customizable bar that allows you to devote more space to the apps that matter most.
You can use uBar to preview, group, quit, or close apps and windows, without the need to open them first, across multiple monitors. It’s an altogether less distracting option for those who find the default Dock a bit cluttered or unpredictable.
Best Terminal for Mac alternatives
If you simply can’t get to grips with how to open Terminal on Mac or get comfortable with all of its ins and outs, you may want to investigate an app like MacPilot.
Get a perfect Terminal alternative
Install MacPilot, an appealing tool that will replace Terminal on your Mac. Over 1000 hidden macOS features and ease of use.
MacPilot grants access to more than 1,000 hidden features in macOS using UNIX without requiring that you learn any complicated commands. Instead, it offers users a Finder-esque window that groups tweaks by both application and function.
In most cases, enabling or disabling features with MacPilot is as simple as checking or unchecking the relevant boxes. You can also explore content across your disks using a File Browser that includes hidden files and detailed information about all available items.
The range of System Tools, reference guides, and secret tricks offered by MacPilot is a powerful alternative to Terminal for those who would rather avoid struggling with commands.
Why the Terminal window still matters
Try to wax lyrical about the benefits of Mac commands with fellow Apple users and there’s a good chance you’ll be met with them asking “what is a Terminal?” The fact is, this app isn’t something that the average Mac user ever bothers much with.
As you can see from the list of useful commands above, neglecting to use Terminal on Mac or an app like MacPilot means never seeing everything that your laptop or desktop is capable of.
One of many great things about using Mac Terminal commands is that, should you make a mistake, you can usually undo whatever you’ve done just by changing TRUE to FALSE and running the command again or simply changing the location or setting back to what it was before.
It’s true that Mac Terminal has a steep learning curve if you’re not used to its “language” but, whether or not you take the easier route with MacPilot, you can still try some of the cool tricks Terminal allows. You can play games, for example, by doing the following:
Open a Terminal window and type emacs then press Enter
With GNU Emacs selected, hit Escape
On the next screen, type x then tetris, pong or snake and press Enter
The most interesting example of a hidden Mac Terminal trick? That has to be the option to watch an ASCII version of the entire movie Star Wars:
telnet towel.blinkenlights.nl
Grab some popcorn and enjoy!
Best of all, the apps mentioned throughout this article: CleanShot, Lungo, uBar, MacPilot — are all available for a free 7-day trial with Setapp, a platform for more than 150 apps to extend the possibilities of your Mac. See the best your Mac can do.
The MacOS Terminal is an often-neglected and overlooked feature. But there are so many cool Terminal commands you can use that makes the feature insanely useful.
If there is one piece of advice I can give to all macOS users, it is this: Use the Terminal more. Seriously. It is an often-neglected and overlooked feature on the macOS system. But there are so many cool MacOS Terminal commands you can use that makes the feature insanely useful.
It can be quite intimidating trying to use it if you are a newbie. Hollywood keeps pushing the stereotype of the Terminal window being used by hacker geeks spouting techno-babble while shutting down the main power grid, while under heavy gunfire by terrorists. But it can also be used for more peaceful means such as customizing your Mac and using time-saving shortcuts.
After trying out loads of commands, here are the ones I liked the most.
13 Cool MacOS Terminal Commands To Try Out
I’ve excluded all the really geeky and techie ones. Instead, I am focusing on ones which are straightforward and useful. To open up the Terminal window, go to your Applications folder then “Utilities.” You will then find the Terminal.
View Hidden Files & Folders
As with Windows, macOS hides all folders which are essential to the running of the system. By hiding them, there is no chance of you accidentally deleting a system-critical file and crashing your entire Mac.
But some files and folders do sometimes need to be seen. For example, on a USB stick, caches and thumbnails are usually hidden and they can take up quite a big part of the storage space. The only way to get rid of them, short of reformatting the stick, is to view the hidden files.
In a Terminal window, type :
then type:
Now you will see all of the hidden files. But be careful what you delete. If in doubt, leave it alone.
To hide them again, repeat the command but replace TRUE with FALSE.
Download Files From The Internet Without a Browser
If you need to download a file from the Internet, you don’t always need to open a browser. You can also download it through the Terminal.
We have previously mentioned Homebrew which allows you to download software via the browser. There is also YouTube-DL where you can download YouTube videos via the Terminal as well (I love YouTube-DL).
But you can also download various bits and pieces online if you have the direct download link. First, specify which folder you want it downloaded to. I have set it to the Downloads folder but you can change it to whatever you want.
Then to download the file, type :
Keep Your Mac Awake
There are various apps available for disabling the sleep function on a Mac. The one I use is the highly-rated free app Amphetamine. But if you are averse to installing lots of apps, there is actually a Terminal command you can use instead. Simply type:
This will stop your Mac from going to sleep. When you want it to finally close its digital eyes, you can relieve its suffering by pressing the CTRL + C buttons.
Play Tetris
I absolutely love Tetris. I can spend hours playing it. So I was delighted to learn there is a secret Tetris game hidden away on the Mac.
In the Terminal, type : Virtual dj 7.4 pro full.
Hit enter. Now tap the Fn and F10 keys together at the same time. Press the t button then the g button.
Finally, you will see this. Choose your game and it will start.
Make Your Mac Sound Like An iPhone When Plugged Into Juice
This is not really a useful one. But if you like the sound of your iPhone, you can now have your Mac make iOS beeps when you plug it into the power.
Tell Your MacOS To Check For Updates More Often
It’s common-sense computer security to update your Mac often. But a lot of people frequently overlook it and take forever to download critical patches and updates. If this sounds like you, you can flip the finger to your Swiss cheese brain and instead tell your Mac to check for updates more often.
To tell it to check every day, just type:
Change Where You Get Screenshots Sent To
In this line of work, I do a LOT of screenshots. When I bought my current Macbook a couple of years ago, it started sending all my screenshots to the desktop. It irritates the hell out of me as I like to keep a clean desktop. But there is a way to change the default screenshot location.
Just type the following, replacing /your/location/here with the path to the folder you want to change it to.
then type :
Create a New Default Name For Screenshots
Other cool screenshots one is changing the default name for a screenshot that the Mac makes.
Usually, the Mac writes it like this – Screen Shot 2018-09-11 at 20.00.46.png – but that is so unwieldy and ugly looking. But fear not. You can change it to whatever you want.
then type :
Change What Format You Make Your Screenshots
At this point, you’ve probably decided I’ve declared Holy War on screenshots. But I promise this is the last one I’ll do on it. As well as changing the default name and location, you can also specify what file format you want them in.
Usually, I do them in PNG format but a lot of my clients actually detest PNG. Instead, they want JPG. So since they are paying my bills, they get to decide what format my images are in. You can, of course, change it to whatever you want – GIF, BMP, or God forbid, TIFF.
Kill The Dashboard
When was the last time you used the Dashboard? Yup, me neither. In my opinion, there is absolutely no use for it and should be scrapped by Apple. But until they do get around to making it extinct, you can disable it instead.
then type:
Add a Gap Between Apps In The Dock
This is one I really like because it brings a little bit of order to my Dock. It enables you to put blank spaces in the Dock so you can “separate” app icons and look as if they are grouped together.
then type:
View Your Entire Download History – And Wipe It
Privacy enthusiasts (and illegal downloaders) will be horrified to hear this one. Your Mac keeps meticulous records of every file you download. So the next time the Music Police come knocking on your front door, don’t bother protesting your innocence. Your Mac will snitch on you.
But you can get the last laugh. To view the entire list, type:
To delete all the incriminating evidence, type :
If you now type the first command again, the list should be blank.
Shut Down The Mac
Finally, when it’s time to go to bed, do your Mac a favor and let it go to sleep too.
Or if it’s the middle of the day, and you need to restart your Mac, type :
Conclusion
Do you have any favorite Terminal commands that I haven’t covered here? Let us know in the comments.