WaxJelly

This is a great list (thanks to ss64.com/osx) that when I found I wished I’d read a long time ago. I find myself referring to it often, so I’ve added it to del.icio.us and I thought I’d add here as well.

• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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