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How to Create Symbolic Links at Command Line of Mac OS X

Aug 6, 2015 - 11 Comments
Terminal in macOS

A symbolic link created at the command line allows a linked object in the file system to point to an original object in a different location. In this way, symbolic links behave much like an alias does in the Mac OS X GUI, except that the linking and reference between files or folders is done … Read More

Release & Renew DHCP from the Command Line with ipconfig on Mac

Jul 30, 2015 - 3 Comments
Terminal in macOS

If you need to release and renew DHCP from the command line on a Mac, the helpful ipconfig utility is able to do so quickly. Do keep in mind that for most Mac OS X users, renewing a DHCP lease from the Mac System Preferences is the best approach because it’s user friendly and just … Read More

Where to Set Environment Variables on Mac

Jul 28, 2015 - 11 Comments
Terminal in macOS

At the command line, environmental variables are defined for the current shell and become inherited by any running command or process. They can determine anything from the default shell, the PATH, the users home directory, to the terminal emulation type, current working directory, where a history file is located, language and localization settings, and going … Read More

How to Delete Old Backups from Time Machine on Mac

Jul 27, 2015 - 41 Comments
Time Machine in Mac OS X

If you use Time Machine to backup a Mac to an external drive, you may decide to manually delete old backups that are no longer needed. Yes, Time Machine does it’s own housekeeping, but sometimes users need to manually intervene. This can be for a variety of reasons, whether for simple removal of old backups, … Read More

How to Find Wi-Fi Network Passwords from Command Line on Mac

Jul 24, 2015 - 12 Comments
Terminal in macOS

Given the complexity of some wi-fi network passwords combined with the general infrequency of entering them and that they’re typically saved on use, it’s not terribly unusual to forget what a specific routers wireless password is. Fortunately, if you’re on a Mac, there are a few ways to go about finding those lost or forgotten … Read More

How to Add Gatekeeper Exceptions from Command Line in Mac OS X

Jul 15, 2015 - 11 Comments
Terminal in macOS

Typically if you want to have an application launch approved by the GateKeeper feature on a Mac, you right-click on the unidentified developers application and choose “Open”, or go through System Preferences to bypass Gatekeeper that way. Another option is to manually add application approvals and exceptions to Gatekeeper by turning to the command line … Read More

How to Load & Unload Kernel Extensions in Mac OS X

Jun 24, 2015 - 20 Comments
Loading and unloading kernel extensions in Mac OS X

Kernel extensions, called kext for short, are modules of code that are loaded directly into the kernel space of Mac OS X, able to run at a low-level to perform a variety of tasks. Most kexts are part of the core Mac OS X system software, typically hardware device drivers, but some third party apps … Read More

How to Copy an ISO to a USB Drive from Mac OS X with dd

Jun 5, 2015 - 96 Comments
Find the disk identifier with diskutil list to direct dd to

If you have downloaded an ISO image of another operating system, say Ubuntu Linux or Windows 10, and you wish to turn that ISO image file into a bootable USB installer drive using a USB flash drive or USB key, you’ll find the most reliable way to copy or ‘burn’ the ISO to that target … Read More

Find Detailed Wi-Fi Connection History from Command Line of Mac OS X

Jun 3, 2015 - 12 Comments

There are some situations where knowing exactly what wireless networks a Mac has connected to and when that connection was last established can be helpful. We’ll demonstrate how to uncover a comprehensive listing of specifics about previously joined wi-fi networks on a Mac, which will include the last connection date and time (to the second!), … Read More

How to Change DNS from Command Line of Mac OS X

Jun 2, 2015 - 12 Comments
Terminal in macOS

Advanced Mac users may find it useful to know that DNS servers in OS X can be set from the command line, without having to turn to the System Preferences Network control panel. While the GUI Network control panel is undeniably the easiest approach for most Mac users, the command line method offers benefits for … Read More

How to Disable Gatekeeper from Command Line in Mac OS X

May 4, 2015 - 22 Comments
Gatekeeper warning in Mac OS X prevents unknown apps being launched

Though most Mac users will want to keep Gatekeeper enabled for security purposes, some advanced users find that Gatekeeper is overly zealous in preventing third party apps from being used in macOS and Mac OS X. While it’s easy to turn off Gatekeeper through the System Preferences on a Mac, another option is to disable … Read More

How to Read .cap Packet Capture File on Mac OS X with tcpdump

May 1, 2015 - Leave a Comment

Whether performing a packet trace or sniffing and capturing packets from a network, the result is usually the creation of a .cap capture file. That .cap, pcap, or wcap packet capture file is created regardless of what you’re using to sniff a network, a fairly common task among network administrators and security professionals. Perhaps the … Read More

How to Resize a VirtualBox VDI or VHD File on Mac OS X

Apr 7, 2015 - 53 Comments
VirtualBox manager

If you use VirtualBox to run guest operating systems within a virtual machine on the Mac, like Windows 10 or Ubuntu Linux, you may find yourself needing to resize the virtual disk size where the OS resides. This is often the case when you inadequately estimate how much space is required for properly installing in … Read More

How to Find the Build Number of Mac OS X on a Mac

Mar 23, 2015 - 4 Comments
Find the build number of OS X from the command line with sw_vers

Each release of MacOS or Mac OS X has a unique build number assigned to it to represent the changes found in that version of system software, often these changes are minor and incremental, but with major Mac OS X releases the build numbers can change significantly. Though average Mac users won’t need to know … Read More

Perform Detailed DNS Lookups with host Command in OS X

Mar 19, 2015 - 3 Comments
Terminal in macOS

All domains are associated with an IP address, whether it’s for a website, mail server, or whatever else. While using nslookup offers a simple way to get DNS information and an IP for a specific website or domain, if you want a significantly more detailed retrieval, you can use the host command instead. The host … Read More

How to Bypass a FileVault Password On a Per Boot Basis with Mac OS X

Mar 6, 2015 - 12 Comments
Lock a Mac Screen

Using FileVault full disk encryption is one of the better ways to protect your Mac and personal documents from prying eyes and password resets, but if you’re troubleshooting a Mac with FileVault, either your own or someone else’s, it’s kind of annoying to have another layer of passwords necessary to enter before you’ll be able … Read More

Flatten a Nested Directory & File Hierarchy from Command Line of Mac OS X

Feb 11, 2015 - 19 Comments
Nested directory structure to flatten as shown in the Finder of Mac OS X

Have you ever needed to flatten a directory structure, moving all file contents from a directories child folders into a single folder? While you can do this manually by moving around files and folders from the file system of Mac OS X or Linux, a faster option is to turn to the command line. Maybe … Read More

Understanding Why Terminal Doesn’t Let You Type a Password

Feb 4, 2015 - 33 Comments
Typing a password into Terminal won't show up, this is intentional

Sometimes you need to enter a password into the terminal, usually for sudo or su commands, which lets users execute a command with super user privileges. This is fairly typical for allowing access to read or modify something that would otherwise not be possible with a standard user account. You’ll commonly see sudo prefixing another … Read More

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