

There are a few rules that you need to bear in mind when using any command-line interface. If you locate the file in the Finder, you can drag and drop it onto the Terminal window and Terminal will extract its path and slot it into the command for you. Often, the argument takes the form of a specific file, in which case you need to type the file path at the end of the command. A command has three elements to it the command itself, which calls a specific tool, an option which modifies the command's output, and an argument, which calls the resource on which the command will operate. Using Terminal is straightforward: you type a command on the command-line and press Return to execute it. We're getting ahead of ourselves, however. Commands in Unix are shell-specific, so it's important, say when you're following tips written for a different flavour of Unix, that you use the right shell for the commands, or vice versa. You can run other shells with Terminal, but you'll have to install those yourself. The 'cursor' is indicated by a shaded box.

If you look at the command-line inside the window, you'll see that each line starts with the name of the Mac and is followed by the name of the current user. The title bar of a Terminal window displays the name of the current user, the type of shell, and the size of the window in pixels. There are various types of shell Apple uses one called Bash. You launch it like any other and when you do, you'll see Apple's implementation of a Unix command-line environment, known as a shell.
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The first thing to understand about Terminal is that it's just an application and it lives in the Utilities folder in Applications. Well, yes it is, but learning those commands and using them allows you to customise elements of your Mac, perform tasks that would otherwise be cumbersome or require additional software, and troubleshoot quickly when things go awry. Isn't the whole point of a graphical user interface that we don't need to concern ourselves with learning arcane instructions and typing them on a command line? Read next: What Automator can do for you At first glance, it's the very antithesis of what the Mac is all about. Of all Mac utilities, few are as misunderstood as Terminal.
COMMAND PROMPT AND TEXT EDIT FOR MAC OS HOW TO
We also have a Mac Terminal tutorial where we show you how to do 10 fun things on the Mac using Terminal. Here's everything you need to know about Terminal, and what it can do for you and your Mac.
COMMAND PROMPT AND TEXT EDIT FOR MAC OS MAC OS
Terminal provides a command line interface to control the UNIX-based operating system that lurks below macOS (or Mac OS X).
