CLI commands cheat sheet for mac OS users
View All Users & Accounts on a Mac ==> dscl . list /Users
Show User Accounts Only ==> dscl . list /Users | grep -v '_'
Show All User Accounts, User Directories, & User GECOS Info on a Mac ==> dscacheutil -q user
a |
Description |
afconvert |
Audio File Convert |
afinfo |
Audio File Info |
afplay |
Audio File Play |
airport |
Manage Apple AirPort |
alias |
Create an alias |
alloc |
List used and free memory |
apropos |
Search the whatis database for strings |
asr |
Apple Software Restore |
atsutil |
Font registration system utility |
awk |
Find and Replace text within file(s) |
b |
Description |
basename |
Convert a full pathname to just a filename |
bash |
Bourne-Again SHell |
bg |
Send to background |
bind |
Set or 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 |
Description |
caffeinate |
Prevent the system from sleeping |
cal |
Display a calendar |
calendar |
Reminder Service |
caller |
Return the context of a subroutine call • |
cancel |
Cancel print jobs |
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 |
csrutil |
Configure System Integrity Protection (SIP) |
cupsfilter |
Convert a file to another format using cups filters |
curl |
Transfer data from or to a server |
cut |
Divide a file into several parts |
d |
Description |
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 |
Description |
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 |
execsnoop |
Snoop new process execution |
expand |
Convert tabs to spaces |
expect |
Programmed dialogue with interactive programs |
export |Set an environment variable
expr |Evaluate expressions
f |
Description |
false |
Do nothing, unsuccessfully |
fc |
Fix command (history) |
fdisk |
Partition table manipulator for Darwin UFS/HFS/DOS |
fdesetup |
FileVault configuration, list FileVault users |
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 |
fs_usage |
Filesystem usage (process/pathname) |
ftp |
Internet file transfer program |
function |
Define Function Macros |
fuser |
List processes that have one or more files open |
g |
Description |
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 |
Description |
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 |
Description |
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 |
iostat |
Report CPU and i/o statistics |
ipconfig |
View and control IP configuration state |
info |
Help info |
install |
Copy files and set attributes |
iosnoop |
Snoop I/O events as they occur |
j |
Description |
jobs |
List active jobs |
join |
Join lines on a common field |
k |
Description |
kextfind |
List kernel extensions |
kextstat |
Display status of loaded kernel extensions (kexts) |
kextunload |
Terminate driver instances and unload kernel extensions. |
kickstart |
Configure Apple Remote Desktop |
kill |
Kill a process by specifying its PID |
killall |
Kill processes by name |
l |
Description |
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 |
lp |
Print files |
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 |
Description |
man |
Help manual |
mdfind |
Spotlight search |
mdutil |
Manage Spotlight metadata store |
mkdir |
Create new folder(s) |
mkfifo |
Make FIFOs (named pipes) |
mkfile |
Make a file |
mktemp |
Make a temporary file |
more |
Display output one screen at a time |
mount |
Mount a file system |
mv |
Move or rename files or directories |
n |
Description |
nano |
Simple text editor |
nc/netcat |
Read and write data across networks |
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 |
nvram |
Manipulate firmware variables |
o |
Description |
onintr |
Control the action of a shell interrupt |
open |
Open a file/folder/URL/Application |
opensnoop |
Snoop file opens as they occur |
openssl |
OpenSSL command line |
osacompile |
Compile Applescript |
osascript |
Execute AppleScript |
p |
Description |
passwd |
Modify a user password |
paste |
Merge lines of files |
pbcopy |
Copy data to the clipboard |
pbpaste |
Paste data from the Clipboard |
pgrep |
List processes by a full or partial name |
ping |
Test a network connection |
pkill |
Kill processes by a full or partial name |
pkgbuild |
Build a macOS Installer component package |
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 |
Description |
quota |
Display disk usage and limits |
r |
Description |
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 |
ReportCrash |
Enable/Disable crash reporting |
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 |
s |
Description |
say |
Convert text to audible speech |
screen |
Multiplex terminal, run remote shells via ssh |
screencapture |
Capture screen image to file or disk |
scselect |
Switch between network locations |
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 |
serverinfo |
Server information |
set |
Set a shell variable = value |
setfile |
Set attributes of HFS+ files |
sharing |
Create share points for afp, ftp and smb services |
shasum |
Print or Check SHA Checksums |
shift |
Shift positional parameters |
shopt |
Set shell options |
shutdown |
Shutdown or restart macOS |
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 |
spctl |
Security assessment policy/Gatekeeper |
split |
Split a file into fixed-size pieces |
sqlite3 |
SQL database (download history) |
srm |
Securely remove files or directories |
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 macOS operating system version |
sysctl |
Get or set kernel state |
system_profiler |
Report system configuration |
systemsetup |
Computer and display system settings |
t |
Description |
tail |
Output the last part of files |
tar |
Tape ARchiver |
tccutil |
Manage the privacy database |
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 |
tput |
Set terminal-dependent capabilities, color, position |
tr |
Translate, squeeze, and/or delete characters |
trap |
Execute a command when the shell receives a signal |
traceroute |
Trace Route to Host |
trimforce |
Enable TRIM commands on third-party drives |
true |
Do nothing, successfully |
tty |
Print filename of terminal on stdin |
type |
Describe a command |
u |
Description |
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 |
until |
Execute commands (until error) |
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 |
Description |
vi |
Text Editor |
w |
Description |
w |
Show who is logged on and what they are doing |
wait |
Wait for a process to complete |
wall |
Write a message to users |
wc |
Print byte, word, and line counts |
whatis |
Search the whatis database for complete words |
whereis |
Locate a program |
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 |
Description |
xargs |
Execute utility - passing arguments |
xattr |
Display and manipulate extended attributes |
xcode-select --install |
Install the command line developer tools |
Y |
Description |
youtube-dl |
Download video |
yes |
Print a string until interrupted |
zip |
Package and compress (archive) files. |
!! |
Run the last command again |