What is terminal used for ? Can i use to to do cool things ? Is it like the equivalent to the run menu in windows ?
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What is Terminal ?
- Thread starter redchannel
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BlueRevolution
macrumors 603
Terminal is the equivalent of the command prompt in Windows. There's very little you can't do in Terminal, including royally muck up your computer. If you're interested in learning how to use it, I suggest getting a basic UNIX book.
No, it's the equivalent of the command line on Windows. It's a terminal emulator, aka a window in a graphical user interface that let's you work through a more classic text interface without leaving the GUI. OS X is built on a form of UNIX, so there are a lot of cool tricks you can do form here.
http://www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/Teaching/Unix/unixintro.html
There's a good intro to the *nix terminal in general. Once you get your footing and get a feel for how the different commands work and how to read the documentation, check out the man pages for "pmset" and "defaults", which are two of my personal favorites.
http://www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/Teaching/Unix/unixintro.html
There's a good intro to the *nix terminal in general. Once you get your footing and get a feel for how the different commands work and how to read the documentation, check out the man pages for "pmset" and "defaults", which are two of my personal favorites.
I couldn't disagree more. A simple example is Spotlight. Yeah, it's nice and quick and pretty, but if you have files that somehow got tagged as system files (as my nds roms did) then a simple 'find' command will show you what spotlight can't(won't) see. The OsX GUI is great, but you really get to see how much power is under the hood when you overcome your fear of the terminal.
dukebound85
macrumors Core
i agree in that if you know unix, you dont ask, if you dont, then the gui is fine
like asking if you need a mac pro....you will know if you do
angelwatt
Moderator emeritus
Terminal:
- electronic equipment consisting of a device providing access to a computer; has a keyboard and display
- causing or ending in or approaching death; "a terminal patient"; "terminal cancer"
sickmacdoc
macrumors 68020
I love that application of that particular quote!😉
A definition of Terminal as a software tool might be "Software in the Utilities folder of your Mac that has the unique ability to make you regret your earlier decision to spend the money you had set aside for a backup drive on beer and snacks instead."😉
notjustjay
macrumors 603
Or: You know all that cool stuff you always see people do in computer hacker movies and TV shows, like 24? They're always typing like mad, never touching a mouse? That's probably a Terminal window... 😀