An A-Z Index of the Apple OS X command line (TERMINAL)

The tcsh command shell of Darwin (the open source core of OSX)

alias Create an alias

alloc List used and free memory
awk Find and Replace text within file(s)

basename Convert a full pathname to just a folder path

bash Bourne-Again SHell (Linux)
bless Set volume bootability and startup disk options.
break Exit from a loop

cal Display a calendar

case Conditionally perform a command
cat Display the contents of a file
cd Change Directory
chflags Change a file or folder's flags.
chgrp Change group ownership
chmod Change access permissions
chown Change file owner and group
chroot Run a command with a different root directory
cksum Print CRC checksum and byte counts
clear Clear terminal screen
cmp Compare two files
comm Compare two sorted files line by line
complete Edit a command completion [word/pattern/list]
continue Resume the next iteration of a loop
cp Copy one or more files to another location
cron Daemon to execute scheduled commands
crontab Schedule a command to run at a later date/time
cut Divide a file into several parts

date Display or change the date & time

dc Desk Calculator
dd Data Dump - Convert and copy a file
df Display free disk space
diff Display the differences between two files
diff3 Show differences among three files
dig DNS lookup
dirname Convert a full pathname to just a path
dirs Display list of remembered directories
diskutil Disk utilities - Format, Verify, Repair
ditto Copy files and folders
dscl Directory Service command line utility
du Estimate file space usage

echo Display message on screen

ed A line-oriented text editor (edlin)
enable Stop or start printers and classes.
env Set environment and run a utility
eval Evaluate several commands/arguments
exec Execute a command
exit Exit the shell
expect Programmed dialogue with interactive programs
Also see AppleScript
expand Convert tabs to spaces
expr Evaluate expressions

false Do nothing, unsuccessfully

fdisk Partition table manipulator for Darwin UFS/HFS/DOS
find Search for files that meet a desired criteria
fmt Reformat paragraph text
fold Wrap text to fit a specified width
for Expand words, and execute commands
foreach Loop, expand words, and execute commands
fsck Filesystem consistency check and repair
fsaclctl Filesystem enable/disable ACL support
fs_usage Filesystem usage (process/pathname)
ftp Internet file transfer program

GetFileInfo Get attributes of HFS+ files

getopt Parse positional parameters
goto Jump to label and continue execution
grep Search file(s) for lines that match a given pattern
groups Print group names a user is in
gzip Compress or decompress files

head Display the first lines of a file

hdiutil Manipulate iso disk images
history Command History
hostname Print or set system name

id Print user and group names/id's

if Conditionally perform a command
info Help info
install Copy files and set attributes

jobs List active jobs

join Join lines on a common field

kill Stop a process from running

l List files in long format (ls -l)

ll List files in long format, showing invisible files (ls -la)
less Display output one screen at a time
ln Make links between files (hard links, symbolic links)
locate Find files
logname Print current login name
login log into the computer
logout Exit a login shell (bye)
lpr Print files
lprm Remove jobs from the print queue
lpstat Printer status information
ls List information about file(s)
lsbom List a bill of materials file
lsof List open files

man Help manual

mkdir Create new folder(s)
mkfifo Make FIFOs (named pipes)
more Display output one screen at a time
mount Mount a file system
mv Move or rename files or directories

net Manage network resources

nice Set the priority of a command
nohup Run a command immune to hangups

onintr Control the action of a shell interrupt

open Open a file/folder/URL/Application
osascript Execute AppleScript

passwd Modify a user password

paste Merge lines of files
pbcopy Copy data to the clipboard
pbpaste Paste data from the Clipboard
pico Simple text editor
ping Test a network connection
pmset Power Management settings
popd Restore the previous value of the current directory
pr Convert text files for printing
printenv Print environment variables
printf Format and print data
ps Process status
pushd Save and then change the current directory
pwd Print Working Directory

quota Display disk usage and limits

rcp Copy files between machines.

repeat Execute a command multiple times
rm Remove files
rmdir Remove folder(s)
rpm Remote Package Manager
rsync Remote file copy - Sync file tree (also RsyncX)

say Convert text to audible speech

sched Schedule a command to run at a later time.
screencapture Capture screen image to file or disk
sdiff Merge two files interactively
security Administer Keychains, keys, certificates and the Security
framework
sed Stream Editor
set Set a shell variable = value
setenv Set an environment variable = value
setfile Set attributes of HFS+ files
shift Shift positional parameters
shutdown Shutdown or restart OS X
sleep Delay for a specified time
softwareupdate System software update tool
sort Sort text files
split Split a file into fixed-size pieces
stop Stop a job or process
su Substitute user identity
sudo Execute a command as another user
sum Print a checksum for a file
switch Conditionally perform a command
tail Output the last part of files
tar Tape ARchiver
tee Redirect output to multiple files
test Condition evaluation
textutil Manipulate text files in various formats
time Measure Program Resource Use
touch Change file timestamps
traceroute Trace Route to Host
tr Translate, squeeze, and/or delete characters
true Do nothing, successfully
tty Print filename of terminal on stdin
type Describe a command

umask Users file creation mask

umount a device
unalias Remove an alias
uname Print system information
unexpand Convert spaces to tabs
uniq Uniquify files
units Convert units from one scale to another
unset Remove variable or function names
unsetenv Remove environment variable
users Print login names of users currently logged in
uuencode Encode a binary file
uudecode Decode a file created by uuencode
vi Text Editor
wc Print byte, word, and line counts
where Report all known instances of a command
which Locate a program file in the user's path
while Execute commands
who Print all usernames currently logged on
whoami Print the current user id and name (`id -un')

xargs Execute utility - passing arguments

yes Print a string until interrupted

Note: tcsh is the default shell in OS X Jaguar (10.2)

Panther (10.3) and Tiger (10.4) default to bash - many commands
do work in either shell, but this page will soon be updated to list
the bash syntax.