50 macOS Tips and Tricks Using Terminal (the last one is CRAZY!)

Launching the Terminal and Fun Commands 00:00

"First, how do you launch a terminal? Hit the Command key and space bar."

• To launch the terminal on macOS, simply press the Command key along with the space bar, type "Terminal" in the search bar, and press Enter.

• You can make your Mac speak directly from the terminal by using the command "say" followed by the text you want to be spoken. This can be a humorous trick, especially for entertaining kids.

Accessing Wi-Fi Passwords 00:23

"Did you know your Mac keeps a record of all the Wi-Fi passwords you've ever used?"

• Your Mac stores a history of all Wi-Fi passwords you have connected to, accessible directly from the terminal.

• Use the command security find-generic-password -w <Wi-Fi Name> to retrieve any saved Wi-Fi password.

• To copy this password to your clipboard for easy sharing, you can append the command with | pbcopy, making it convenient to send to others.

Copying Plain Text 00:54

"You just want the plain text, paste without formatting."

• While standard copy and paste operations use formatting, you can paste as plain text in macOS by pressing Command + Option + Shift + V. This command strips away any unwanted formatting, ensuring you only share the essential text.

Keeping Your Mac Awake 01:10

"Type in caffeinate, and as long as your terminal is up, your Mac will stay awake."

• If you want to prevent your Mac from sleeping while using the terminal, you can use the command caffeinate. This will keep your Mac awake until you terminate the command by pressing Control + C.

Customizing Screenshot Names and Locations 01:52

"You can change the default name of your screenshots to something more meaningful."

• You can rename your screenshots and even change their default file type and storage location using specific terminal commands.

• To change the name, use defaults write com.apple.screencapture name <new-name> and for the file type, use defaults write com.apple.screencapture type <file-type>.

• To specify the save location, use defaults write com.apple.screencapture location <file-path>. This helps in managing screenshots more effectively.

Viewing Download History 02:19

"Your Mac keeps a history of everything you download. Like seriously, it’s in a database."

• Your downloads are tracked in a SQLite database on your Mac. You can view this download history using a terminal command that queries this database.

• If you wish to clear your download history, you can do so by using a specific command, ensuring privacy regarding your activities.

Managing Passwords with Terminal 02:39

"You can change your password without leaving the terminal."

• You can easily change your user password directly from the terminal by using the command passwd. This command prompts you to enter your new password without navigating through different menus.

• Keeping unique passwords for every service is crucial, and using a password manager can greatly assist in managing them.

Navigating and Managing Files with Basic Commands 04:08

"CD will change your current working directory."

• Basic UNIX commands like cd (change directory) and ls (list files) work seamlessly on macOS, as it is Unix-based.

• The pwd command prints your current working directory to help you stay oriented within the file system.

• You can copy files with the cp command, and macOS includes the enhanced ditto command for a similar purpose but with added functionality.

Advanced Commands for System Monitoring 06:32

"The top command lets you see which processes are using the most CPU in real-time."

• Use the top command to monitor CPU usage and memory consumption by various processes on your Mac.

• You can filter the displayed processes by memory usage by appending options, thus allowing for efficient system resource management.

• The kill command is useful for terminating any process that you no longer need, enhancing your system's performance.

Shell Options and Switching 06:48

"With the macOS terminal, you can use different types of shells."

• You can determine which shell you are currently using by typing the command which shell.

• The terminal allows you to switch between different shells, such as switching from Zsh to Bash, by simply typing bash or the reverse command to revert back to Zsh.

Set an Alarm in the Terminal 07:44

"If you are spending too much time in the terminal, you can set an alarm in your terminal."

• You can use terminal commands to set alarms, which can serve as reminders when you are engrossed in terminal activities. This can help manage your time effectively.

Setting Alarms and Viewing Command History 07:46

"Type in ‘leave’ and what time you want the alarm for. We'll say ‘12:45’ – alarm set."

• You can set a reminder to leave your terminal by using a simple command that allows you to specify the time for the alarm.

• Viewing your command history is easy; just type 'history' and you will see all the previous commands you've executed in the terminal, which is quite useful for tracking your activity.

Disabling Gatekeeper 07:59

"You can disable your Gatekeeper, which is the feature that prevents you from installing potentially insecure applications."

• The Gatekeeper is a security feature on macOS that restricts the installation of apps from unverified sources.

• Disabling it can be done using the command sudo spctl --master-disable, followed by your password. However, this action should be approached with caution and isn't recommended for inexperienced users to avoid security risks.

Installing Homebrew 08:25

"Everything good starts with a good Brew; install it with one command."

• Homebrew is a package manager that simplifies the installation of software on macOS.

• You can install it with a specific command that is detailed in the video, and it’s suggested to take a break while the installation completes.

Fun Terminal Commands: C Matrix and ASCII Aquarium 08:50

"Type in ‘brew install cmatrix’. Once installed, simply type in ‘cmatrix’ to take the red pill."

• After installing C Matrix, you can run it to have a fun visual experience in your terminal reminiscent of the movie "The Matrix."

• Similarly, installing ascii-quarium allows you to run an animated aquarium simulation directly in your terminal, making the command line a lot more entertaining.

Using Toilet and Playing Tetris 09:16

"You can turn any name or text into ASCII character art with the command, and yes, you can play Tetris in Terminal."

• The toilet command allows you to create stylized text art in your terminal, which can be personalized to say anything you like.

• Additionally, by installing samtetris, you can enjoy the classic game of Tetris right in your terminal window, providing a nostalgic gaming experience.

Running a Local Web Server with Python 09:50

"You can start a little web server right from the terminal using Python's built-in HTTP server."

• macOS comes with Python 3 installed by default, enabling you to quickly set up a web server using the command python3 -m http.server.

• This can be particularly useful for sharing files across a local network by providing access to your documents through a designated port.

Shut Down and Restart Commands 10:21

"You don’t have to leave the terminal to shut down your computer; you can stay right here."

• Use the commands shutdown -h now for shutting down or shutdown -r now for a restart directly from the terminal, which offers a convenient way to control your computer without navigating through menus.

Using Touch ID Instead of Passwords 10:33

"You can use your Touch ID on your MacBook as your sudo password."

• For those tired of entering their password each time they use sudo, you can modify your PAM configuration to enable Touch ID as a replacement for your normal password.

• This involves editing a system file located at /etc/pam.d/sudo to include a specific line enabling Touch ID use, significantly streamlining command execution in the terminal.