#Command line for mac os x how to#
#Command line for mac os x full#

You can remove a directory and its content with the rm -r command. Removing a directory is similar to removing a single file. After deleting the file, I ran the ls command to show you that the file was removed. Thus, you can quickly delete files from your machine using the terminal.įigure 5 shows the rm command in action. Running the following command removes a file from your machine: rm myFile. You can also remove files from the terminal using the rm command, which is the short form for remove. The mkdir command is the terminal alternative of right-clicking and choosing 'New Folder' using the mouse. For instance, if you are in the Desktop directory, that's where it makes the Projects directory. The mkdir command creates the new folder in the current working directory. The above command creates a new directory with the name 'Projects'. Similar to the touch command, you need to provide the folder's name as an argument. The command mkdir is the shorthand for make directory, and it allows you to create new, empty directories. The terminal enables you to do that as well! Create a directory - mkdirīesides creating new files, you also need to create new folders from time to time. If you run the command touch taxes.txt, it creates a new, empty file in the Desktop folder with the name taxes.txt.įigure 3, above, shows the newly created file. After that, it creates a new file in the current working directory with the name you specified. The touch command allows you to create new files from the terminal on Mac! When you use the command, you need to specify the name of the file and press enter. But how do you create new files inside those directories?

#Command line for mac os x how to#

Create a file - touchĪt this point, you know how to list the content of directories and how to change directories. The cd command is the terminal alternative for clicking on a folder to open it. cd - Using this command, without specifying any folder, takes you to the Home folder.įigure 2 illustrates how the command can be used to change directories from the terminal.cd - It takes you to the directory you've been browsing before using the cd command.In other words, it takes you one level above the current working directory. For instance, if you are in the Desktop/Work folder, running cd. With this command, you can go back one folder.

#Command line for mac os x full#

Otherwise, you need to provide the full path.īut, you can do more stuff using the cd command. Note: It only works if the Work folder is inside Desktop. The above command takes you from one folder ( Desktop) to another one ( Work).

For instance, if you are in the Desktop folder and want to go to the Work folder, you can run the following command: cd Work The cd command allows you to navigate between directories on your machine. Change directories - cdĪnother terminal command developers use a lot is the cd command, which is the shorthand for ' change directory'. The ls command is the terminal alternative for opening the 'Finder' on your machine and browsing the content of a specific folder. For instance, if you are in the Downloads directory, it shows you all the files and directories inside it.įigure 1 shows an example of running the list command in the terminal. When you run the ls command, it shows you all the files and directories in the current directory. The ls command allows you to view the content of a directory. One of the most common and important commands is the list command or ls in short. In this article, you will see the main terminal commands you will most likely use daily as a developer. Thus, the terminal is an essential tool in any developer's toolbelt, and knowing how to use it is very beneficial. Developers use the terminal for tasks such as:

When it comes to developers, the terminal it's even more important because they spend a good chunk of time each day using it. One example would be creating a directory from the terminal with one command. Using the terminal, users can accomplish the same tasks as when they use the standard graphical user interface (GUI) and even more. The Mac terminal is a command-line interface (CLI) that allows users to interact with the operating system through text commands.