#Mac command line how to#
#Mac command line code#

If you try this command and do not immediately see the hidden items, either log out and log back in to force Finder to read its preferences file again, or go to the Apple menu,В select Force Quit, select Finder and click Relaunch. They are hidden ones (starting a file or folder name with a dot will hide it). Notice that there are a lot more folders and files and that some are displayed in light gray. When AppleShowAllFile is set to TRUE and a Finder window is opened, it looks like this: It does not show all files and some are hidden, although you may never have realised this. Here is how a Finder window looks when AppleShowAllFile is set to FALSE: This particular setting has values of TRUE or FALSE, but other settings can contain numbers or text strings. Instead of defaults read we would use defaults write and supply it with the new value:Дefaults write AppleShowAllFiles TRUEДefaults opens, searches for AppleShowAllFiles and sets the value to TRUE. Suppose we wanted to change the value of this setting. In this case but it could be any of the plist files in Library > Preferences.

One of the functions of the defaults command is to read the value of a setting in a.

In this case we would enter:Дefaults read AppleShowAllFilesДefaults reads the file, searches for AppleShowAllFiles and outputs its value, which is FALSE.

#Mac command line code#

Suppose we wanted to find out the value of just this one setting, AppleShowAllFiles, without the page after page of code we had before. This is a simple setting in Finder and some of the other settings are much more complicated, so letвЂ™s focus on this one. It is the same information, just displayed differently. The way the defaults command shows the plist file is actually more readable than Quick Look. Notice theВ line that says AppleShowAllFiles = FALSEВ nearВ the top. Scroll back to the top as in this screenshot: Defaults displays a lot of information and you will need to use the vertical scroll bar on the right side of the Terminal window to view it all. plist at the end of the filename because defaults assumes itвЂ™s a. When viewing plist files you must omit the. At the command prompt in the Terminal window, type: Go to the Utilities folder and then run Terminal.app. I have highlighted a keyВ called AppleShowAllFiles and the string that follows it, FALSE. If you want to see what settings are stored in В the easiest way is to just press the spacebar to open it in Quick Look. One them is called and this stores the settings for Finder. Open the Preferences folder in Library and you will see a large number of files ending. In Finder, pull down the Go menu then hold down the Option key and click Library. These can be useful and they can be accessed through the defaults command. However, not all of the settings in plist files are available in an app's Preferences and there are sometimes hidden secret settings. Many apps have a Preferences menu and the options you set in the Preferences are stored in. The macOS X defaults Terminal command is a tool that is used to view and modify the settings used by macOS X and applications. There are easierВ ways to do this, but it is a simple tweak that demonstrates how the defaults command works.

#Mac command line how to#

As an example, I will show how to revealВ hidden files that are stored on your iMacвЂ™s or MacBookвЂ™s drive.

In thisВ article I will take a look at the defaults Terminal command and see what it is and how it works. Some tips for macOS involve opening a Terminal window and typing an obscure command starting вЂdefaults write blah blahвЂ¦вЂ™ Have you ever wondered what it all means? Here is the answer.