> A curated list of shell commands and tools specific to OS X. > > *“You don’t have to know everything. You simply need to know where to find it when necessary.” (John Brunner)* [](https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome) If you want to contribute, you are highly encouraged to do so. Please read the [contribution guidelines](contributing.md). ## Table of Contents * [Developer](#developer) * [Disks](#disks) * [Finder](#finder) * [Fonts](#fonts) * [Hardware](#hardware) * [Input Devices](#input-devices) * [Media](#media) * [Networking](#networking) * [Package Managers](#package-managers) * [Printing](#printing) * [Security](#security) * [System](#system) * [Miscellaneous](#miscellaneous) ## Developer ### Install command line tools without Xcode ```bash xcode-select --install ``` ## Disks ### Repair file permissions ```bash sudo diskutil repairPermissions / ``` ## Finder ### Hide folder in finder ```bash SetFile -a V ``` ## Fonts ### Clear font cache for all users ```bash sudo atsutil databases -removeUser atsutil server -shutdown atsutil server -ping ``` ### Clear font cache for current user ```bash atsutil databases -removeUser atsutil server -shutdown atsutil server -ping ``` ## Hardware ### Disable sudden motion sensor (useless for SSDs) ```bash sudo pmset -a sms 0 ``` ### List all hardware ports ```bash networksetup -listallhardwareports ``` ### Show all power management settings ```bash sudo pmset -g ``` ## Input Devices ### Disable/enable auto-correct ```bash defaults write NSGlobalDomain NSAutomaticSpellingCorrectionEnabled -bool false defaults write NSGlobalDomain NSAutomaticSpellingCorrectionEnabled -bool true ``` ## Media ### Convert audio file to iPhone ringtone ```bash afconvert input.mp3 ringtone.m4r -f m4af ``` ## Networking ### Clear DNS cache ```bash sudo dscachutil -flushcache && sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder ``` ### Enable/disable Bonjour ```bash defaults write /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.mDNSResponder ProgramArguments -array-add "-NoMulticastAdvertisements" defaults write /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.mDNSResponder ProgramArguments -array "/usr/sbin/mDNSResponder" "-launchd" ``` ### Remove Apple Remote Desktop settings ```bash sudo rm -rf /var/db/RemoteManagement sudo rm /Library/Preferences/com.apple.RemoteDesktop.plist rm ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.RemoteDesktop.plist sudo rm -r /Library/Application\ Support/Apple/Remote\ Desktop/ rm -r ~/Library/Application\ Support/Remote\ Desktop/ rm -r ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.RemoteDesktop ``` ### Renew DHCP lease ```bash sudo ipconfig set en0 DHCP ``` ### Show DHCP info ```bash ipconfig getpacket en0 ``` ### Show Wi-Fi connection history ```bash defaults read /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.airport.preferences | grep LastConnected -A 7 ``` ### Show Wi-Fi network passwords ```bash security find-generic-password -ga "ROUTERNAME" | grep "password:" ``` ## Package Managers * [Fink](http://www.finkproject.org) - The full world of Unix Open Source software for Darwin. * [Homebrew](http://brew.sh) - The missing package manager for OS X. * [MacPorts](https://www.macports.org) - Compile, install and upgrade either command-line, X11 or Aqua based open-source software. ## Printing ### Clear print queue ```bash cancel -a - ``` ## Security ### Add/remove Gatekeeper exceptions ```bash spctl --add /path/to/Application.app spctl --remove /path/to/Application.app ``` ### Check FileVault status ```bash sudo fdesetup status ``` ### Securely remove file/directory/force ```bash srm /path/to/file srm -r /path/to/directory/ srm -rf /path/to/complete/destruction ``` ## System ### Advanced system and performance report ```bash sudo sysdiagnose -f ~/Desktop/ ``` ### Check/set/turn off system sleep idle time ```bash sudo systemsetup -getcomputersleep sudo systemsetup -setcomputersleep 60 sudo systemsetup -setcomputersleep Never ``` ### Copy to/from clipboard ```bash cat whatever.txt | pbcopy pbpaste > whatever.txt ``` ### Disable/enable Notification Center ```bash launchctl unload -w /System/Library/LaunchAgents/com.apple.notificationcenterui.plist && killall -9 NotificationCenter launchctl load -w /System/Library/LaunchAgents/com.apple.notificationcenterui.plist ``` ### Disable/enable transparency in menu and windows ```bash defaults write com.apple.universalaccess reduceTransparency -bool true defaults write com.apple.universalaccess reduceTransparency -bool false ``` ### Eject all mountable volumes ```bash osascript -e 'tell application "Finder" to eject (every disk whose ejectable is true)' ``` ### Enable/disable root user ```bash dsenableroot dsenableroot -d ``` ### Enable/disable/check safe mode ```bash sudo nvram boot-args="-x" sudo nvram boot-args="" nvram boot-args ``` ### List all apps downloaded from App Store ```bash find /Applications -path '*Contents/_MASReceipt/receipt' -maxdepth 4 -print |\sed 's#.app/Contents/_MASReceipt/receipt#.app#g; s#/Applications/##' ``` ### Load/unload kernel extensions ```bash sudo kextload -b com.apple.driver.ExampleBundle sudo kextunload -b com.apple.driver.ExampleBundle ``` ### Purge memory cache ```bash sudo purge ``` ### Show/disable/enable autocorrect setting ```bash defaults read -g NSAutomaticSpellingCorrectionEnabled defaults write -g NSAutomaticSpellingCorrectionEnabled -bool false defaults write -g NSAutomaticSpellingCorrectionEnabled -bool true ``` ### Show build number of OS ```bash sw_vers ``` ### Show current screen resolution ```bash system_profiler SPDisplaysDataType | grep Resolution ``` ## Miscellaneous ### Set wallpaper ```bash osascript -e 'tell application "Finder" to set desktop picture to POSIX file "/path/to/picture.jpg"' ``` ## License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.