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Try to execute Mac terminal commands in Commander One

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Mac terminal: learn the basics [2022 edition]

Apple’s Mac terminal is a great utility for handling any command line task. But still, there are other options that allow interacting with your Mac. We’ve compiled the best macOS Terminal alternatives you can use.

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Commander One
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While almost everything in Mac OS can be performed without delving under the graphical interface, sometimes you may need to configure some parameters or open some functions using Mac terminal commands. The native Terminal app works fine, but it is far from the only option out there. It can be emulated by alternative apps.

Everything you need to know about terminal on Mac:

  1. How to open Terminal on Mac
  2. List of the best Terminal app Mac alternatives
  3. Basic Mac Terminal commands and features
  4. Getting to know the command line and why is it worth using Mac OS Terminal emulator

How to open Terminal on Mac

The Terminal is a powerful tool in OS X. It gives you the ability to make changes to the operating system that are not available from the GUI (graphical user interface). It’s pretty straightforward to use the Terminal app: all you need is to type a command in the command line and press the Return Enter key to execute it.

If you are wondering how to get to Terminal on Mac, there are three main ways to do this: by going to the Applications folder in Finder, by using the Spotlight search bar, and by using Launchpad. Here are brief step-by-step guides for these processes.


How to open Terminal on Mac


Opening Terminal via the Finder:

  1. Go to Finder.
  2. On the left toolbar, select "Applications" and then scroll down until you find "Utilities".
  3. In the Utilities folder, you’ll find the Terminal.app. Double-click to open it.

Opening Terminal through Spotlight:

  1. Hold down the "Command" button and the space bar at the same time. Search bar will open.
  2. Type "Terminal" in the field.
  3. Find Terminal from the list and double click on it.

Opening Terminal through Launchpad:

  1. Open Launchpad from the Dock or press Fn and F4 simultaneously.
  2. When Launchpad opens, type "Terminal" in the search bar.
  3. Click the Terminal icon.

You can also use Siri to launch Terminal: simply click the Siri icon and say "Open Terminal". To quit the Terminal app, you just need to click Terminal > Quit Terminal or use the Command+Q shortcut.

List of the best Terminal app Mac alternatives

As we mentioned before, the Terminal is a great way to take direct control of the computer, but you can also opt for other solutions that can emulate Terminal functions. They are more customizable and come with additional features. Let’s take a look at some of the Mac OS Terminal alternatives.

Commander One

Commander One

4.5 Rank based on 90 + users Reviews(15)
Requirements: macOS 10.12
Version: v3.3(3508), Released 4 Sep, 2021 Release notes
Category: System Utilities
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Commander One is a versatile file management tool offering many features to efficiently work with documents, archives, remote servers, and system processes. The app comes with a classic dual-panel interface and is highly customizable. Commander One allows you to open any number of tabs, supports various file types, and lets you customize your own hotkeys for any action. That means you can perform the most frequent tasks just with a touch of a button.

What’s more, there is a built-in FTP manager that lets you connect to remote servers using FTP, SFTP, or FTPS. Thanks to the two-panel interface, Commander One improves efficiency and speed, and smartly organizes file operations in queues. That’s convenient when you need to work with lots of different servers.

Besides being one of the best file managers, Commander One also works as the Terminal emulator, making it extremely easy to manage all the system processes. You can invoke Terminal simply by using hotkeys. The emulator includes all the necessary features, and eliminates the need for switching between apps while working with it. All Mac Terminal commands can be executed in the application window.

Commander One as Terminal emulator

icon pros Pros

  • Can be easily customized according to your needs
  • Integrated with cloud storages
  • FTP/SFTP/FTPS are supported
  • Work with iOS/Android and MTP devices.

icon cons Cons

  • No multiple rename feature
  • Doesn’t support comparison / directory synchronization.

Supported OS: macOS

Price: $29.99

iTerm2

Another emulator of Terminal on Mac is iTerm2. It offers a set of handy features and is a great choice for both beginners or advanced users. iTerm2 enables you to split a tab into multiple panes, automate routine commands, and comes with a robust in-page search function which makes browsing much easier. Besides that, you can speed up your work with hotkeys and copy without using a mouse.

iTerm2

icon pros Pros

  • Offers autocomplete feature and instant replay
  • Growl integration
  • Can be configured according to your needs.

icon cons Cons

  • macOS 10.14 or higher is required
  • Doesn’t support RTL.

Supported OS: macOS

Price: free

Basic Mac Terminal commands and features

To get the most out of the Mac Terminal, you should know the following commands.


Basic Mac Terminal commands


  • Show hidden files and folders
    • By default, regular users do not see all hidden files and folders in OS X. To show hidden files and folders, use this command: defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE; killall Finder

  • Automatic check for updates
    • OS X checks for system updates on a weekly basis. If you want to check more often than it does, you can check manually, or you can simply use: defaults write com.apple.SoftwareUpdate ScheduleFrequency 1 and OS X will check for updates daily.

  • View the contents of any file
    • If you have file in an unknown format or the file is damaged, you can open it using: cat ~ / enter / file / path

  • Copy the contents
    • To simplify the "copy-paste" process, enter the following command: ditto -V ~ / original / folder / ~ / new / folder /

  • Download a file without a browser
    • You can even download a file without using a browser. To do this, execute the command: curl -O specify the URL

  • View all active processes
    • To display a list of currently running processes, open terminal Mac and type the following command: top

    At the top of the list, you will see an overview of the running processes and the resources they are consuming.

  • Stop Mac from sleeping
    • If your Mac is running a long process that cannot be interrupted, you can use the special command: caffeinate

    This command will help keep your Mac from going to sleep mode.

Getting to know the command line and why is it worth using Mac OS Terminal emulator

How do I use command line on Mac?

Terminal is a Mac command line interface with which you can access the Unix part of macOS to manage files and run scripts via text commands. You can find it in the / Applications / Utilities / folder. Once you launch the Terminal, you will be able to enter the commands to your computer.


Utilities on Mac


But first, you’ll need to understand its basic commands and functions. Each of these commands is responsible for a specific action. Once you've done that, you can start using Terminal to accomplish tasks.

What is Terminal emulator?

Terminal emulator Mac is a software that emulates the functionality of traditional computer terminals. It gives access to the console and command line interface, provides more control over all functions, and speeds up processes as well. Terminal emulators are usually more customizable and feature-rich compared to the built-in Terminal.

If you're new to using the Terminal app on a Mac, take some time to understand it. Mac Terminal is good enough and does its job efficiently, but it is not the only option available.

If you are looking for more features and customizable solutions, there are enhanced apps like Commander One. It is one of the powerful Terminal emulators with a wide set of handy features. Not only this, it even serves as an FTP client and file manager for Mac.

While Mac Terminal and its alternatives listed above will give you full control over your system, you should be careful to get it right.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Terminal is a tool that lets you interact with your computer’s operating system using special commands. There is a built-in Terminal, but you can also use terminal emulators like Commander One. It comes with more features and serves as file manager for Mac and Mac archiver.
There are multiple ways to open Terminal on Mac. For example, you can go to Finder > Applications. Then select the Utilities folder and find the Terminal.app here. Double-click it. Alternatively, you can use Commander One, which is a Mac Terminal emulator. Besides that, it is also a great task manager Mac and lets you mount MTP to Mac.
To start working with Terminal, you need to know the basic commands. For example, to set your computer to check for updates daily, you should use: defaults write com.apple.SoftwareUpdate ScheduleFrequency 1. You can find more details in this article.
Apple replaced bash with zsh in macOS Catalina.
Commander One
Requirements: MacOS 10.12+ , 37.59MB free space
Version 3.3(3508) (4 Sep, 2021) Release notes
Category: System Utilities
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