You will usually have to enter your OS X system password and any mistakes can permanently mess up your system for good. Tip: Be extra careful when using the sudo command. sudo - authenticate yourself a superuser to gain extra security privileges.

cd - change to another directory (as in DOS).

ls - list the contents of a particular directory.We won't go into massive detail on how Terminal works but it's best to learn the following three commands before we start this tutorial: Unlike OS X, which has a graphical user interface (shortened to GUI), Terminal works off a text-based interface and all commands have to be typed in - this may be the reason why some people are scared off by it! Terminal (officially called Terminal.app) is, strictly speaking, an emulator and works off most typical UNIX commands (OS X is a UNIX-based system, as opposed to Windows, which is NT-based). Before We Start.ĭid you know that we have some useful Mac apps available on Envato Market?Īlso, before we start tinkering around with it, it is probably worth taking a couple of minutes to tell you exactly what Terminal is (all in a non-technical sense, of course!). So, for all the beginners out there, here is my pick of the top 10 Terminal commands that every Mac user should know. Knowing some basic Terminal commands can really enhance your experience of OS X. Fortunately, you don't have to be scared of Terminal and think of it as a feature just for the tech-minded. Most newcomers to Macs look at it with fear, as the sight of anything code-related or advanced is enough to put them off for life. The Terminal in OS X is often, in my opinion anyway, an overlooked area of the operating system.

Mac terminal commands cheat sheet