macOS Utilities

macOS Utilities#

Table of Contents#

asitop#

[ h ][ g ] asitop

csrutil#

[ d ] csrutil - configure system security policies

csrutil status
csrutil disable
csrutil enable

resources

defaults#

[ d ] defaults – access the Mac OS X user defaults system

[examples]

defaults domains | tr , '\n' # list domains
defaults write com.apple.LaunchServices/com.apple.launchservices.secure LSHandlers -array-add '{LSHandlerContentType=public.plain-text;LSHandlerRoleAll=com.microsoft.vscode;}' # set the default text editor to Visual Studio Code (`open -t file` open `file` in Visual Studio Code)

resources

diskutil#

[ d ] diskutil - modify, verify and repair local disks

diskutil list

dscacheutil#

[ d ] dscacheutil - directory service cache

[examples]

dscacheutil -q user`                # lookup all users
dscacheutil -q user -a name <user>` # lookup a single user

dscl#

dscl Directory Service Command Line

[example] [ y ] 01-28-2023. Embrace The Red. “Grabbing and cracking macOS password hashes (with dscl and hashcat)”.

dscl . -list /Users
sudo dscl . -read /Users/alice | less
sudo dscl . -read /Users/alice dsAttrTypeNative:ShadowHashData > alice.hashdata
cat alice.hashdata | tail -n1 | xxd -p -r | plutil -convert xml1 - -o alice.plist 

#echo salt | base64 -d | xxd -p -c256 # base64-decode the salt
#echo data | base64 -d | xxd -p -c256 # base64-decode the data
echo '$ml$iteration$'$(echo salt | base64 -d | xxd -p -c256)'$'$(echo data | base64 -d | xxd -p -c256) > hash # file `hash`: $ml$iteration$salt$data

hashcat --help | grep -i macos
hashcat -a 0 -m 7100 hash wordlist

du#

du - display disk usage statistics

  • du -chs .* * -s is equivalent to -d 0

  • du -chd 1 .* * Depth of 1

  • du -chd 2 .* * Depth of 2

fdisk#

[ d ] fdisk - DOS partition maintenance program

fs_usage#

[ d ] fs_usage

halt#

[ d ] halt, reboot - stopping and restarting the system

id#

[ d ] id - return user identity

  • man id How do I use command id?

  • id -P bob Show information for the user ‘bob’ as a password file entry.

  • id -Gn root Same output as groups(1) for the root user.

  • id -p alice Show human readable information about ‘alice’.

  • id -u Print the effective UID.

  • id -un Print the effective user name. Equivalent to whoami.

launchctl#

launchctl – Interfaces with launchd

log#

log – access system wide log messages created by os_log, os_trace and other logging systems

[examples]

log show --predicate 'process == "Safari"' --last 2d

mdutil#

mdutil manage the metadata stores for mounted volumes used by spotlight

sudo mdutil -E / # erase the local stores mounted at `/` (the stores will be rebuilt, if appropriate)

networkQuality#

[ d ] networkQuality - network quality testing tool

[examples]

networkQuality -s -v # down/up sequential + verbose
networkQuality -v    # down/up parallel + verbose

networksetup#

[ d ] networksetup - configuration tool for network settings in System Preferences

[examples]

networksetup -listnetworkserviceorder
networksetup -listallnetworkservices

nvram#

nvram – manipulate firmware NVRAM variables

nvram SystemAudioVolume=" " # disable the sound effects on boot (not tested) https://github.com/kevinSuttle/macOS-Defaults/blob/master/.macos

open#

[ d ] open - open files and directories

  • open '/Volumes/Macintosh HD/foo.txt' opens the document in the default application for its type (as determined by LaunchServices).

  • open '/Volumes/Macintosh HD/Applications/' opens that directory in the Finder.

  • open -a /Applications/TextEdit.app '/Volumes/Macintosh HD/foo.txt' opens the document in the application specified (in this case, TextEdit).

  • open -b com.apple.TextEdit '/Volumes/Macintosh HD/foo.txt' opens the document in the application specified (in this case, TextEdit).

  • open -e '/Volumes/Macintosh HD/foo.txt' opens the document in TextEdit.

  • ls | open -f writes the output of the ‘ls’ command to a file in /tmp and opens the file in the default text editor (as determined by LaunchServices).

  • open http://www.apple.com/ opens the URL in the default browser.

  • open 'file://localhost/Volumes/Macintosh HD/foo.txt' opens the document in the default application for its type (as determined by LaunchServices).

  • open 'file://localhost/Volumes/Macintosh HD/Applications/' opens that directory in the Finder.

  • open -h NSView lists headers whose names contain NSView and allows you to choose which ones to open.

  • open -h NSView.h immediately opens NSView.h.

  • open --env MallocStackLogging=YES -b com.apple.TextEdit launches TextEdit with the environment variable “MallocStackLogging” set to “YES”

  • open -h NSView -s OSX10.12 lists headers whose names contain NSView in the MacOSX 10.12 SDK and allows you to choose which ones to open.

osascript#

osascript – execute OSA scripts (AppleScript, JavaScript, etc.)

osascript -e 'tell application "System Preferences" to quit' # close System Preferences

plutil#

plutil – property list utility

pmset#

pmset – manipulate power management settings

pmset -g sched # view the current schedule

powermetrics#

[ unix/osx ] powermetrics

quota#

[ d ] quota - display disk usage and limits

scutil#

scutil – Manage system configuration parameters

  • scutil --dns

  • scutil --get

    • scutil --get ComputerName

    • scutil --get HostName

    • scutil --get LocalHostName

  • scutil --set

security#

[ d ] security - command line interface to keychains and Security framework

softwareupdate#

[ d ] softwareupdate - system software update tool

[examples]

softwareupdate --help # How do I use command `softwareupdate`?
softwareupdate -l     # Are there any available updates?

split#

[ d ] split - split a file into pieces

sw_vers#

[ d ] sw_vers - print macOS version information

sw_vers -h # How do I use command `sw_vers`?
sw_vers    # Print macOS version information.

sysctl#

[ d ] sysctl - get or set kernel state

sysctl -a # List all the currently available non-opaque values. This option is ignored if one or more variable names are specified on the command line.

system_profiler#

[ d ] system_profiler - reports system hardware and software configuration

system_profiler -h # How do I use command `system_profiler`?
system_profiler    # Report the system hardware and software configuration.

systemsetup#

[ d ] systemsetup – configuration tool for certain machine settings in System Preferences.

systemsetup -getallowpowerbuttontosleepcomputer           # getAllowPowerButtonToSleepComputer: On
systemsetup -getcomputername                              # Computer Name: Automaton
systemsetup -getcomputersleep                             # Computer Sleep: Never
systemsetup -getdate                                      #
systemsetup -getdisablekeyboardwhenenclosurelockisengaged # getdisablekeyboardwhenenclosurelockisengaged: No
systemsetup -getdisplaysleep                              # Display Sleep: after 60 minutes
systemsetup -getharddisksleep                             # Hard Disk Sleep: after 10 minutes
systemsetup -getkernelbootarchitecturesetting             # kernel architecture is set to default
systemsetup -getlocalsubnetname                           # Local Subnet Name: Automaton
systemsetup -getnetworktimeserver                         # Network Time Server: time.apple.com
systemsetup -getremoteappleevents                         # Remote Apple Events: Off
systemsetup -getremotelogin                               # Remote Login: On
systemsetup -getrestartfreeze                             # Restart After Freeze: On
systemsetup -getrestartpowerfailure                       # Restart After Power Failure: Not supported on this machine.
systemsetup -getsleep                                     # Sleep: Computer sleeps Never \n Sleep: Display sleeps after 60 minutes \n Sleep: Disk sleeps after 10 minutes
systemsetup -getstartupdisk                               # (null)
systemsetup -gettime                                      #
systemsetup -gettimezone                                  # Time Zone: America/New_York
systemsetup -getusingnetworktime                          # Network Time: On
systemsetup -getwaitforstartupafterpowerfailure           # getwaitforstartupafterpowerfailure: 0 seconds
systemsetup -getwakeonmodem                               # Wake On Modem: Not supported on this machine.
systemsetup -getwakeonnetworkaccess                       # Wake On Network Access: On

systemsetup -liststartupdisks                             #
systemsetup -listtimezones                                #

systemsetup -help                                         #
systemsetup -printCommands                                #
systemsetup -version                                      # systemsetup, Version 1.5.1 \n Copyright Apple Inc. 2002-2020

tiptop#

[ g ] tiptop

trash#

[ g ] trash

vm_stat#

[ w ] vm_stat - show Mach virtual memory statistics

xattr#

xattr - display and manipulate extended attributes

xcode-select#

[ d ] xcode-select - manages the active developer directory for Xcode and BSD tools

  • xcode-select -h How do I use command xcode-select?

  • xcode-select -v What is the version?

  • xcode-select -p Where is the active developer directory located in the filesystem?