Mac Tips, Tricks & Shortcuts in easy steps (2015)
10
Command Line Hacks
Using UNIX commands may seem slightly arcane but there are many modifications you can make to OS X using the Command Line. In this section we will look at some Finder- and app-specific hacks you can make to your Mac.
Using Terminal commands
There are lots of apps that let you tinker under the hood with OS X, switching off and on various features. You can modify many aspects of the Mac using a Utility called Terminal (found in your Utilities folder). It allows you to type UNIX commands to the Mac. Unfortunately, Terminal is not a very user-friendly app and you have to be sure of what you are doing if you enter such commands. A wrong command can render your Mac useless, so try these out with caution!
Some of the commands are very useful, e.g. converting Apple Mail-copied email addresses into a more useful form, and others control the behavior of the Finder or other graphical features.
For many of these hacks, if you wish to return your Mac to normal, replace true in the command with false, YES with NO, and 1 with 0.
Many of the commands in the book wrap across two or more lines but when entering them in Terminal keep them on one line.
For many of these, you will need to log out and back in to your account to enable the changes.
Resources
There are many websites offering UNIX hacks for you to play with.
Finder Hacks
Change Dock delay time
This changes the time before the Dock appears when you hover the mouse over it.
defaults write com.apple.Dock autohide-delay-float 0
Add a gradient behind a stack item
This enables you to put a small gradient behind an icon.
defaults write com.apple.dock mouse-over-hilte-stack -boolean YES
killall Dock
Add a message to the Login window
This Terminal command enables you to add a message of your choice to the Login window. Sudo commands can be dangerous so use with care!
sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow LoginwindowText “Your Message”
Replace “Your Message” with the message of your choice - don’t make it too long. To revert back to the default, type the following code:
sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow LoginwindowText “”
Increase Dock magnification size
This hack lets you increase the size of the magnification of the Dock icons. Do not go higher than 512.
defaults write com.apple.dock largesize -int 512
Increase Desktop icon size
If you want massive icons on your Desktop, this hack lets you increase the icons to 512 pixels x 512 pixels. This may slow down older machines.
defaults write com.apple.finder DesktopViewOptions-dict IconSize -integer 512
killall Finder
Changing the format of Screenshots
You can change the default screenshot format to JPEG, TIFF, PNG, BMP, or GIF. You need to log out and back in again, or restart for the changes to take effect.
defaults write com.apple.screencapture type jpg
Change the Login picture
If you get bored with the Login screen, you can change it with this bit of code. Change the file location in the second half of the string to the exact file location of your chosen picture.
defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow DesktopPicture “/System/Library/ CoreServices/Finder.app/Contents/Resources/vortex.png”
Many of these hacks are available using apps, e.g. TinkerTool and several others.
Clear the Open With menu
If you right-click on a file you can open it with many applications. Sometimes your OS can get a little confused and list many applications. This hack clears this list and lets you start again.
/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices. framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/
LaunchServices.framework/Versions/A/Support/lsregister
-kill -r -domain local -domain system -domain user
Window drag speed
This hack changes the time delay it takes to drag windows around in spaces; it’s currently set to 0.75.
defaults write com.apple.dock workspaces-edge-delay -float 0.5
Disable Dashboard
If you don’t want or like the dashboard running, you can disable it. Change YES to NO to enable it again.
defaults write com.apple.dashboard mcx-disabled-boolean YES
killall Dock
Enable Double Scroll Arrows
This hack enables the double arrow set for up and down, left or right, to be at both ends of the scroll bar. Use System Preferences to reset.
defaults write “Apple Global Domain” AppleScrollBarVariant DoubleBoth
Increase the Dock size
This command enables you to change the size of the Dock. Use the sliders in System Preferences to reduce this size. Don’t go larger than 256.
defaults write com.apple.dock tilesize -int 256
Disable the Crash Dialog box
This disables the Quit Dialog box when an application crashes. Type “prompt” to enable it again.
defaults write com.apple.CrashReporter DialogType none
Drag a Widget onto the Desktop
This is a great hack, since it enables widgets to be placed onto the Desktop. Drag a widget around and press F12 to drag it onto the Desktop. Repeat the process again to drag a widget back onto the dashboard. You may need to log off or restart for it to take effect.
defaults write com.apple.dashboard devmode YES
List all open files
lsof
Eject a CD…
CDs and DVDs can get stuck. This hack helps you eject the disk (disc). Note: it may not always be Disk 1.
diskutil eject disk1
Count number of lines in the text in the Clipboard
pbpaste | wc -l
Count number of words in the text in the Clipboard
pbpaste | wc -w
Sort lines of text in the Clipboard and copy back to the Clipboard
pbpaste | sort | pbcopy
Reverse each line of text in the Clipboard
Makes each line appear backwards, and copies them back to the Clipboard.
pbpaste | rev | pbcopy
Strip duplicate lines from text in the Clipboard
pbpaste | sort | uniq | pbcopy
pbpaste | sort | uniq -d | pbcopy
pbpaste | sort | uniq -u | pbcopy
Tidy up HTML in the Clipboard and copy it back to the Clipboard
pbpaste | tidy | pbcopy
Display the first five lines from the Clipboard
pbpaste | head -n 5
Display the last five lines from the Clipboard
pbpaste | tail -n 5
Convert tabs to spaces for the lines in the Clipboard
pbpaste | expand | pbcopy
Display a history of commands used in the terminal by the current user
history
Convert a file to HTML
textutil -convert html file.extension
Nano (text editor)
For quick changes to text files.
nano [file_to_edit]
Use Control + O to Save and Control + X to quit.
clear
Key repeat rate
You can re-enable the repeat key presses (off by default) with this Terminal command.
defaults write -g ApplePressAndHoldEnabled -bool false
To reverse, replace the “false” at the end with a “true”.
Disable Yosemite’s window animations
defaults write NSGlobalDomain
NSAutomaticWindowAnimationsEnabled -bool false
To reverse, replace “false” in the above command with “true”.
Enable AirDrop on unsupported Macs and over Ethernet
AirDrop will only work with newer Macs and over Wi-Fi. If you wish to enable this feature on some older systems and over Ethernet, use this hack.
defaults write com.apple.NetworkBrowser
BrowseAllInterfaces -bool true
To return your Mac to normal, replace “true” in the above command with “false”.
Disable Smooth Scrolling
Use this hack to switch off smooth scrolling and return OS X to its pre-Smooth Scrolling functionality.
defaults write -g NSScrollAnimationEnabled -bool NO
To enable Smooth Scrolling again, replace the “NO” in the above statement with “YES”.
Disable Rubber Band Effect
defaults write -g NSScrollViewRubberbanding -int 0
This does not work for every app. You will need to restart apps on an app-by-app basis to see the change. Replace “0” in the above command with a “1” to re-enable the rubber band effect.
Check which Processes are using the Internet
lsof -P -i -n | cut -f 1 -d “ “ | uniq
Menu bar: disable Transparency
defaults write NSGlobalDomain
AppleEnableMenuBarTransparency -bool false
Menu bar: show remaining Battery Time; hide percentage
defaults write com.apple.menuextra.battery
ShowPercent -string “NO”
defaults write com.apple.menuextra.battery
ShowTime -string “YES”
Menu bar: hide the Time Machine and Volume icons
defaults write com.apple.systemuiserver menuExtras -array “/System/Library/CoreServices/ Menu Extras/Bluetooth.menu” “/System/Library/ CoreServices/Menu Extras/AirPort.menu” “/System/ Library/CoreServices/Menu Extras/Battery.menu” “/ System/Library/CoreServices/Menu Extras/Clock. menu”
Always show Scroll bars
defaults write NSGlobalDomain AppleShowScrollBars-string “Always”
Disable opening and closing window animations
defaults write NSGlobalDomain
NSAutomaticWindowAnimationsEnabled -bool false
Increase window resize speed for Cocoa applications
defaults write NSGlobalDomain NSWindowResizeTime-float 0.001
Expand Save panel by default
defaults write NSGlobalDomain
NSNavPanelExpandedStateForSaveMode -bool true
Expand Print panel by default
defaults write NSGlobalDomain
PMPrintingExpandedStateForPrint -bool true
Disable the “Are you sure you want to open this application?” dialog
defaults write com.apple.LaunchServices
LSQuarantine -bool false
Display ASCII control characters using caret notation in standard text views
defaults write NSGlobalDomain
NSTextShowsControlCharacters -bool true
Disable Resume system-wide
defaults write NSGlobalDomain
NSQuitAlwaysKeepsWindows -bool false
Disable Automatic Termination of Inactive Apps
defaults write NSGlobalDomain
NSDisableAutomaticTermination -bool true
Trackpad: enable tap to Click for this user and for the Login screen
defaults write com.apple.driver.
AppleBluetoothMultitouch.trackpad Clicking -bool true
defaults -currentHost write NSGlobalDomain com. apple.mouse.tapBehavior -int 1
defaults write NSGlobalDomain com.apple.mouse. tapBehavior -int 1
Trackpad: map bottom right corner to right-click
defaults write com.apple.driver.
AppleBluetoothMultitouch.trackpad
TrackpadCornerSecondaryClick -int 2
defaults write com.apple.driver.
AppleBluetoothMultitouch.trackpad
TrackpadRightClick -bool true
defaults -currentHost write NSGlobalDomain com.
apple.trackpad.trackpadCornerClickBehavior -int 1
defaults -currentHost write NSGlobalDomain com.
apple.trackpad.enableSecondaryClick -bool true
Trackpad: swipe between pages with three fingers
defaults write NSGlobalDomain
AppleEnableSwipeNavigateWithScrolls -bool true
defaults -currentHost write NSGlobalDomain com.
apple.trackpad.threeFingerHorizSwipeGesture -int 1
defaults write com.apple.driver.
AppleBluetoothMultitouch.trackpad
TrackpadThreeFingerHorizSwipeGesture -int 1
Disable “natural” scrolling
Some people like this but it’s the first thing I switch off. It feels anything but natural!
defaults write NSGlobalDomain com.apple.
swipescrolldirection -bool false
Increase sound quality for Bluetooth headphones/headsets
defaults write com.apple.BluetoothAudioAgent
“Apple Bitpool Min (editable)” -int 40
Enable full keyboard access for all controls
defaults write NSGlobalDomain AppleKeyboardUIMode -int 3
Disable press-and-hold for keys in favor of key repeat
defaults write NSGlobalDomain
ApplePressAndHoldEnabled -bool false
Set a fast keyboard repeat rate
defaults write NSGlobalDomain KeyRepeat -int 0
Set language and text formats
If you are in the US, replace “EUR” with “USD”, “Centimeters” with “Inches”, and “true” with “false”.
defaults write NSGlobalDomain AppleLanguages -array “en” “nl”
defaults write NSGlobalDomain AppleLocale -string “en_GB@currency=EUR”
defaults write NSGlobalDomain
AppleMeasurementUnits -string “Centimeters”
defaults write NSGlobalDomain AppleMetricUnits -bool true
Disable Auto-correct
defaults write NSGlobalDomain
NSAutomaticSpellingCorrectionEnabled -bool false
Kill a Process
Sometimes you just need a process to stop running. If you want to kill it in Terminal without using Activity Monitor, find the process ID (in Activity Monitor) and then use the following command.
kill PID 478
Let Terminal Talk
You can get Terminal to speak anything back to you using the voice engine. Replace “hello” with anything you want.
say hello
Make Hidden Applications' icons transparent
If you hide a lot of applications, you can make their icons transparent in the dock.
defaults write com.apple.Dock showhidden -bool
YES
killall Dock
Make the Dock spring-loaded
Makes the dock spring-loaded so you can open files or windows from within the dock.
defaults write com.apple.dock enable-spring-load-actions- on-all-items -boolean YES
Recent Applications Stack
This command creates a new stack in your dock so you can view the recently-used Applications.
defaults write com.apple.dock persistent-others -array-add ‘{ “tile-data” = { “list-type” = 1; }; “tile-type” = “recents-tile”; }’
Pin Dock to the right
defaults write com.apple.dock pinning -string
“start”
Pin Dock to the left
defaults write com.apple.dock pinning -string
“end”
Pin Dock to the center (back to the way it was)
defaults write com.apple.dock pinning -string
“middle”
Quick Look a file
This command lets you Quick Look a file in Terminal. First, you need to change the folder by using the “cd” command and then enter the folder you want. To enable this command to work you need to type the file name exactly.
qlmanage -p “Jaguar Aqua Graphite.jpg”
Disable the Spotlight icon
This command removes the Spotlight icon. Type 755 to re-enable it, instead of 0.
sudo chmod 0 /System/Library/CoreServices/ Spotlight.app
killall Spotlight
Remove the stripes in List View
A simple hack that removes the alternating stripes in List View in Finder.
defaults write com.apple.finder FXListViewStripes -bool FALSE
killall Finder
Change the Menu Bar to white
If you don’t like the transparent menu bar you can change it so that it appears white. This requires a password and you will need to restart your Mac.
sudo defaults write /System/Library/
LaunchDaemons/com.apple.WindowServer
‘EnvironmentVariables’ -dict ‘CI_NO_BACKGROUND_ IMAGE’ 1
Change the Menu Bar to gray
If you don’t like the white version of the menu bar you can change it so that it appears gray.
sudo defaults write /System/Library/
LaunchDaemons/com.apple.WindowServer
‘EnvironmentVariables’ -dict ‘CI_NO_BACKGROUND_ IMAGE’ 0
Revert the Menu Bar back to default
If you prefer the transparent menu bar and you want it back, type the following into Terminal.
sudo defaults delete /System/Library/
LaunchDaemons/com.apple.WindowServer
‘EnvironmentVariables’
Set the expanded Print dialog as default
If you want access to a lot of the extra print menus by default you can use the following command to enable you to do this. Requires a restart.
defaults write -g PMPrintingExpandedStateForPrint -bool TRUE
Set the expanded Save dialog as default
Similar to the print dialog, this sets the save dialog to the expanded view by default. This requires a restart.
defaults write -g
NSNavPanelExpandedStateForSaveMode -bool TRUE
Set the Screen saver as the wallpaper
This command sets the currently-selected screen saver as the Desktop background.
/System/Library/Frameworks/ScreenSaver.framework/Resources/ScreenSaverEngine.app/Contents/MacOS/ScreenSaverEngine -background
Show Hidden Files in Finder
A lot of the files in Finder are hidden. If you want to take a look at how many there are and what they are, you can show them within Finder. Be careful, as these files are needed by the system.
Repeat the command with “false” to revert.
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles
TRUE
Skip Disk Image verification
If you want to save some time you can skip the disk image verification for a disk image.
com.apple.frameworks.diskimages skip-verify TRUE
Show Sub-folders in graphical format in Terminal
This is a very cool hack that enables you to show an ASCII graphical view of sub-folders. Use the cd command to change to a directory, otherwise the command will list every folder.
ls -R | grep “:$” | sed -e ‘s/:$//’ -e ‘s/[^-] [^\/]*\//--/g’ -e ‘s/^/ /’ -e ‘s/-/|/’
Speed up Dialog boxes
Most dialog boxes have an animation effect that looks cool. If you want to speed this up you can change the speed at which it renders so it appears almost instantly. The default is 0.2.
defaults write NSGlobalDomain NSWindowResizeTime
0.01
Restart Mac OS X
shutdown - r now
Shutdown Mac OS X
shutdown now
Get overview of current Power Management Settings
pmset -g
Put Display to sleep after 15 minutes of inactivity
sudo pmset displaysleep 15
Put Computer to sleep after 30 minutes of inactivity
sudo pmset sleep 30
Permanently disable Dock icon bouncing
$ defaults write com.apple.dock no-bouncing -bool TRUE
$ killall Dock
Disable Dashboard (don’t forget to drag the Dashboard Dock icon off the Dock too)
defaults write com.apple.dashboard mcx-disabled -boolean YES
killall Dock
Enable Dashboard
defaults write com.apple.dashboard mcx-disabled -boolean NO
killall Dock
Force the Finder to show hidden files
This is useful for Web Developers who need to edit .htaccess files, for example.
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE
Force the Finder to hide hidden files
Require password immediately after sleep or screen saver begins.
defaults write com.apple.screensaver askForPassword -int 1
defaults write com.apple.screensaver askForPasswordDelay -int 0
Save Screenshots to the Desktop
defaults write com.apple.screencapture location -string “$HOME/Desktop”
Disable shadow in Screenshots
defaults write com.apple.screencapture disable-shadow -bool true
Enable subpixel font rendering on non-Apple LCDs
defaults write NSGlobalDomain AppleFontSmoothing -int 2
Finder: allow quitting via ⌘ + Q; doing so will also hide Desktop icons
defaults write com.apple.finder QuitMenuItem -bool true
Finder: disable window animations and Get Info animations
defaults write com.apple.finder
DisableAllAnimations -bool true
Show icons for hard drives, servers, and removable media on the Desktop
defaults write com.apple.finder
ShowExternalHardDrivesOnDesktop -bool true
defaults write com.apple.finder
ShowHardDrivesOnDesktop -bool true
defaults write com.apple.finder
ShowMountedServersOnDesktop -bool true
defaults write com.apple.finder
ShowRemovableMediaOnDesktop -bool true
Finder: show hidden files by default
defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles -bool true
Finder: show all filename extensions
defaults write NSGlobalDomain
AppleShowAllExtensions -bool true
Finder: show Status Bar
defaults write com.apple.finder ShowStatusBar -bool true
Finder: allow text selection in Quick Look
defaults write com.apple.finder
QLEnableTextSelection -bool true
Display full POSIX path as Finder window title
defaults write com.apple.finder
FXShowPosixPathInTitle -bool true
Disable the warning when changing a file extension
defaults write com.apple.finder
FXEnableExtensionChangeWarning -bool false
Avoid creating .DS_Store files on network volumes
defaults write com.apple.desktopservices
DSDontWriteNetworkStores -bool true
Automatically open a new Finder window when a volume is mounted
defaults write com.apple.frameworks.diskimages auto-open-ro-root -bool true
defaults write com.apple.frameworks.diskimages auto-open-rw-root -bool true
defaults write com.apple.finder
OpenWindowForNewRemovableDisk -bool true
Show item info below icons on the Desktop and in other icon views
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c “Set :DesktopViewSettings:IconViewSettings:showItemInfo true” ~/ Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c “Set :FK_StandardViewSettings:IconViewSettings:showItemInfo true” ~/ Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c “Set :StandardViewSettings:IconViewSettings:showItemInfo true” ~/ Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist
Enable snap-to-grid for icons on the Desktop and in other icon views
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c “Set :DesktopViewSettings:IconViewSettings:arrangeBy grid” ~/Library/ Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c “Set :FK_StandardViewSettings:IconViewSettings:arrangeBy grid” ~/ Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c “Set :StandardViewSettings:IconViewSettings:arrangeBy grid” ~/Library/ Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist
Increase grid spacing for icons on the Desktop and in other icon views
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c “Set :DesktopViewSettings:IconViewSettings:gridSpacing 100” ~/Library/ Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c “Set :FK_StandardViewSettings:IconViewSettings:gridSpacing 100” ~/ Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c “Set :StandardViewSettings:IconViewSettings:gridSpacing 100” ~/Library/ Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist
Increase the size of icons on the Desktop and in other icon views
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c “Set :DesktopViewSettings:IconViewSettings:iconSize 80” ~/Library/ Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c “Set :FK_StandardViewSettings:IconViewSettings:iconSize 80” ~/Library/ Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c “Set :StandardViewSettings:IconViewSettings:iconSize 80” ~/Library/ Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist
Disable the warning before emptying the Trash
defaults write com.apple.finder WarnOnEmptyTrash -bool false
Empty Trash securely by default
defaults write com.apple.finder EmptyTrashSecurely -bool true
Show the ~/Library folder
chflags nohidden ~/Library
Remove Dropbox’s green checkmark icons in Finder
file=/Applications/Dropbox.app/Contents/Resources/ check.icns
[ -e “$file” ] && mv -f “$file” “$file.bak”
unset file
Enable highlight hover effect for the grid view of a stack (Dock)
defaults write com.apple.dock mouse-over-hilte-stack -bool true
Set the icon size of Dock items to 36 pixels
defaults write com.apple.dock tilesize -int 36
Enable spring-loading for all Dock items
defaults write com.apple.dock enable-spring-load-actions-on-all-items -bool true
Show indicator lights for open applications in the Dock
defaults write com.apple.dock show-process-indicators -bool true
Don’t animate opening applications from the Dock
defaults write com.apple.dock launchanim -bool false
Speed up Mission Control animations
defaults write com.apple.dock expose-animation-
duration -float 0.1
Top left screen corner → Mission Control
defaults write com.apple.dock wvous-tl-corner
-int 2
defaults write com.apple.dock wvous-tl-modifier
-int 0
Top right screen corner → Desktop
defaults write com.apple.dock wvous-tr-corner
-int 4
defaults write com.apple.dock wvous-tr-modifier
-int 0
Bottom left screen corner → Start Screen saver
defaults write com.apple.dock wvous-bl-corner
-int 5
defaults write com.apple.dock wvous-bl-modifier
-int 0
Remove the auto-hiding Dock delay
defaults write com.apple.Dock autohide-delay
-float 0
Remove the animation when hiding/showing the Dock
defaults write com.apple.dock autohide-time-
modifier -float 0
#defaults write com.apple.dock no-glass -bool true
Automatically hide and show the Dock
defaults write com.apple.dock autohide -bool true
Make Dock icons of hidden applications translucent
defaults write com.apple.dock showhidden -bool true
Reset Launchpad
find ~/Library/Application\ Support/Dock -name “*.db” -maxdepth 1 -delete
Add a spacer to the left side of the Dock (where the applications are)
#defaults write com.apple.dock persistent-apps -array-add ‘{tile-data={}; tile-type=”spacer-tile”;}’
Add a spacer to the right side of the Dock (where the Trash is)
#defaults write com.apple.dock persistent-others -array-add ‘{tile-data={}; tile-type=”spacer-tile”;}’
Add a context menu item for showing the Web Inspector in web views
defaults write NSGlobalDomain
WebKitDeveloperExtras -bool true
Enable Dashboard dev mode (allows keeping widgets on the Desktop)
defaults write com.apple.dashboard devmode -bool true
Disable smart quotes as it’s annoying for code Tweets
defaults write com.twitter.twitter-mac
AutomaticQuoteSubstitutionEnabled -bool false
Show the app window when clicking the menu icon
defaults write com.twitter.twitter-mac
MenuItemBehavior -int 1
Enable the hidden “Develop” menu
defaults write com.twitter.twitter-mac
ShowDevelopMenu -bool true
Hide the app in the background if it’s not the frontmost window
This is a very useful command for anyone who does a lot of fiddling and needs to quit Finder.
defaults write com.apple.finder QuitMenuItem -bool YES
killall Finder
App-specific Commands
Web inspector for Safari
This is a very detailed web inspector that enables you to find out specific information about a page. It is accessible through the debug menu but this enables you to use it without. You can access it quickly through right-click.
defaults write com.apple.Safari
WebKitDeveloperExtras -bool true
See current path of Finder window
defaults write com.apple.finder _
FXShowPosixPathInTitle -bool YES
Enable Time Machine on unsupported drives
This hack enables Time Machine to work on unsupported drives such as a NAS. Use with caution as it is unsupported.
defaults write com.apple.systempreferences
TMShowUnsupportedNetworkVolumes 1
Increase Time Machine backups
To change to half-hourly backups use this hack.
sudo defaults write /System/Library/
LaunchDaemons/com.apple.backupd-auto
StartInterval -int 1800
Enable the debug menu in iCal
defaults write com.apple.iCal IncludeDebugMenu -bool true
hash tmutil &> /dev/null && sudo tmutil disablelocal
Force Mail to display in plain text
defaults write com.apple.mail PreferPlainText -bool TRUE
Disable Tooltips in Safari
This quick hack for Safari removes the tooltips you get when you hover over certain elements.
defaults write com.apple.Safari
WebKitShowsURLsInToolTips 0
Change the loading bar in Safari to a pie chart
This changes the blue bar that goes across the address bar into a small blue pie chart. Insert “false” instead of “true” to reverse.
defaults write com.apple.Safari
DebugUsePieProgressIndicator -bool true
Enable debug menu in Safari
Adding debug menus to programs is great, as you can access a whole range of features. This one is for Safari.
defaults write com.apple.Safari IncludeDebugMenu 1
Set the history limit in Safari to a number of items
defaults write com.apple.Safari
WebKitHistoryItemLimit 2000
Set the history limit in Safari to a number of days
defaults write com.apple.Safari
WebKitHistoryAgeInDaysLimit 30
Disable Safari’s thumbnail cache for history and top sites
defaults write com.apple.Safari
DebugSnapshotsUpdatePolicy -int 2
defaults write com.apple.Safari
IncludeInternalDebugMenu -bool true
Make Safari’s search banners default to “contains” instead of “starts with”
defaults write com.apple.Safari
FindOnPageMatchesWordStartsOnly -bool false
Remove unwanted icons from Safari’s bookmarks bar
defaults write com.apple.Safari
ProxiesInBookmarksBar “()”
Change the arrows in iTunes
Normally the arrows in iTunes link to the music store. Adding this command enables you to search your library. You need to click on the song first for the arrows to appear.
defaults write com.apple.iTunes invertStoreLinks -bool YES
Change iTunes link behavior to point at local iTunes Library instead of iTunes Store
defaults write com.apple.iTunes invertStoreLinks -bool true
defaults write com.apple.iTunes invertStoreLinks -bool YES
Disable the iTunes arrow links completely
defaults write com.apple.iTunes show-store-arrow-links -bool false
Enable iTunes track notifications in the Dock
defaults write com.apple.dock itunes-notifications -bool true
Make ⌘ + F focus the search input in iTunes
defaults write com.apple.iTunes
NSUserKeyEquivalents -dict-add “Target Search Field” “@F”
Sync to Dropbox from anywhere in your home folder
Using this Terminal command you can create symbolic links to folders you want to sync within Dropbox.
(replace username, foldername, and path/to/
dropbox with your own values):
ln -s /Users/username/Documents/foldername / Users/path/to/dropbox/Files/
Disable send and reply animations in Mail.app
defaults write com.apple.Mail
DisableReplyAnimations -bool true
defaults write com.apple.Mail
DisableSendAnimations -bool true
Copy email addresses as “johndoe@mac.com” instead of John Doe <johndoe@mac.com> in Mail.app
defaults write com.apple.mail
AddressesIncludeNameOnPasteboard -bool false
Enable the debug menu in Disk Utility
defaults write com.apple.DiskUtility
DUDebugMenuEnabled -bool true
Prevent Time Machine from prompting to use new hard drives as backup volume
defaults write com.apple.TimeMachine
DoNotOfferNewDisksForBackup -bool true
Enable the debug menu in Address Book
defaults write com.apple.addressbook
ABShowDebugMenu -bool true
Entertainment
Play Star Wars Episode IV
Using a simple Telnet address your Terminal will connect in and play Star Wars Episode IV in ASCII format!
telnet towel.blinkenlights.nl
Tetris and Pong
Open Terminal, type
emacs
Click Enter
Press ESC + X at the same time
Type
tetris
or
pong
Use the arrow keys to move and rotate the blocks, and press the space to make the blocks fall.
Networking and Internet
Ping a host to see whether it’s available
ping -o leftcolumn.net
Troubleshoot routing problems to a host using traceroute
traceroute leftcolumn.net
Check whether a host is running an HTTP server (i.e. check that a website is available)
curl -I www.leftcolumn.net | head -n 1
Who is logged in to your Mac?
who
Show routing table
netstat -r
Show active network connections
netstat -an
Show network statistics
netstat -s
Restart Bonjour
Useful when a Mac "disappears" from the Network.
sudo launchctl unload /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.mDNSResponder.plist
sudo launchctl load /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.mDNSResponder.plist