Chapter 28. Unix Command Reference
This chapter presents the Mac OS X user, programmer, and system administration commands available through the Terminal (see Chapter 18). Each entry is labeled with the command name on the outer edge of the page. The syntax line is followed by a brief description and a list of available options. Many commands come with examples at the end of the entry. If you need only a quick reminder or suggestion about a command, you can skip directly to the examples.
Typographic conventions for describing command syntax are in the Preface. For help in locating commands, see the Index at the back of this book.
We’ve tried to be as thorough as possible in listing
the options. Basic command information and most options should be
correct; however, new options are added, and sometimes older options
may have been dropped. You may, therefore, find some differences
between the options you find described here and the ones on your
system. When there seems to be a discrepancy, check the manpage (by
way of the man
command). For
most commands, you can also use the
--help
option to get a brief
usage message. (Even when it isn’t a valid option,
it usually results in an “invalid
option” error message, along with the usage
message.)
Traditionally, commands take single-letter options preceded by a
single hyphen, like -d
. A more recent Unix
convention allows long options preceded by two hyphens, like
--debug
. Often, a feature can be invoked through either the old style or the new ...
Get Mac OS X Panther in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.