Dive Deep into Your macOS: Terminal Commands You Didn’t Know You Needed

Ever felt like the captain of a ship, yearning to understand the intricate details of your vessel? For macOS users, the Terminal is the bridge of that ship, offering a treasure trove of commands to dive deep into the system’s abyss. Join us on this voyage as we uncover 30 intriguing commands that will not only pique your interest but also elevate your macOS experience.

NOTE: Not all of the commands from the list of 30 require installation via Homebrew or other package managers, but many of them do because they aren’t included by default in macOS. Here’s a breakdown:

Usually Pre-installed on macOS:

1. watch - Most Linux distributions come with this pre-installed, but macOS does not. You would need to install it.
2. top - Pre-installed.
3. vm_stat - Pre-installed.
4. iostat - Pre-installed.
5. netstat - Pre-installed.

Require Installation:

0. iftop

1. dstat
2. htop
3. glances
4. nload
5. slurm
6. gtop
7. vtop
8. bmon
9. iotop
10. mtr
11. ss - This might be pre-installed on some systems, but its availability can vary.
12. mpstat - Part of the sysstat package.
13. pidstat - Part of the sysstat package.
14. sar - Part of the sysstat package.
15. ncdu
16. bashtop
17. bandwhich
18. tig
19. rainbarf
20. ccze
21. logtop
22. pipes.sh

For tools that require installation, the recommended method on macOS is using Homebrew. Once you have Homebrew installed, installing any of these tools is as simple as running brew install <tool_name>.

Breaking Down the Command

Ever stumbled upon a command and wondered what magic it conjures? Let’s demystify this one!

1. watch -n 1 date

• watch: It’s a command that allows you to execute another command periodically and display its output in full screen.
• -n 1: This simply tells watch to rerun the "show" (or command) every 1 second.
• date: This is the tool we want to run. It just displays the current date and time.

2. |

• | (Pipe): Imagine this as a conveyor belt, taking the output of one process and delivering it to another. It connects two commands, allowing them to talk to each other.

3. grep --color=auto '.*'

• grep: A trusty search tool. Here, it's used to sprinkle some color on our output.
• --color=auto: This tells grep to decide on its own if it should add color. If your terminal can handle it, grep brings out the colors!
• '.*': This is the search pattern. It's like telling grep to match everything, hence coloring every line.

1. watch: The Timekeeper

Monitor how programs evolve in real-time. It’s like having a surveillance camera for your commands.

watch -n 1 date | grep --color=auto '.*'

2. top: The Taskmaster

Witness the real-time drama of processes jostling for CPU dominance.

top -o cpu | grep --color=auto '.*'

3. vm_stat: The Memory Maestro

Ever wondered how your Mac allocates memory? Peek into its thought process.

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watch -n 1 vm_stat | grep --color=auto 'free'

4. iostat: The Disk Detective

Decode the cryptic conversations between your CPU and disk.

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iostat 1 | grep --color=auto 'disk'

5. netstat: The Network Navigator

Sail through the tumultuous seas of network packets and connections.

watch -n 1 netstat -an | grep --color=auto 'ESTABLISHED'

6. iftop: The Traffic Cop

Watch the highway of your data traffic, spot the speedsters.

iftop | grep --color=auto '.*'

7. dstat: The Jack of All Trades

Why settle for one when you can have the combined might of vmstat, iostat, and netstat?

dstat | grep --color=auto '.*'

8. htop: The Pinnacle of Processes

Ascend to the peak of process monitoring with an enhanced, colorful view.

htop | grep --color=auto '.*'

9. glances: A Swift Glimpse

Take a fleeting yet comprehensive look at your system’s soul.

glances | grep --color=auto '.*'

10. nload: The Data Streamer

Visualize the rivers of data flowing in and out of your system.

nload | grep --color=auto '.*'

11. slurm: The Elegant Observer

Admire your network traffic through a sleek, stylish interface.

slurm -i en0 | grep --color=auto '.*'

12. gtop: The System Sentry

Guard and oversee your system’s stats in real-time.

gtop | grep --color=auto '.*'

13. vtop: The Visual Virtuoso

An aesthetically pleasing alternative to ‘gtop’. Beauty with brains.

vtop | grep --color=auto '.*'

14. bmon: The Bandwidth Guardian

Witness every byte as it traverses your network.

bmon | grep --color=auto '.*'

15. iftop: The Network Nightwatch

Keep an eye on your network’s nocturnal activities.

iftop | grep --color=auto '.*'

16. iotop: The Input/Output Insider

Delve into the secrets of data transfers within your system.

iotop | grep --color=auto '.*'

17. mtr: The Path Pioneer

Chart the journey of your packets across the vast internet.

mtr google.com | grep --color=auto '.*'

18. ss: The Socket Sleuth

Unearth the mysteries of network sockets.

ss | grep --color=auto '.*'

19. mpstat: The CPU Chronicler

Chronicle every beat of your Mac’s heart — the CPU.

mpstat | grep --color=auto 'all'

20. pidstat: The Process Prober

Probe deep into the life stories of individual processes.

pidstat | grep --color=auto '.*'

21. sar: The System’s Biographer

Relive the past with detailed system reports.

sar | grep --color=auto '.*'

22. iftop: The Data Detective

Solve the mysteries of your data traffic.

iftop | grep --color=auto '.*'

23. ncdu: The Disk Diver

Dive deep to uncover what’s eating up your disk space.

ncdu | grep --color=auto '.*'

24. bashtop: The Terminal Titan

The pinnacle of resource monitoring in the terminal.

bashtop | grep --color=auto '.*'

25. bandwhich: The Bandwidth Beacon

Illuminate the pathways of your bandwidth.

bandwhich | grep --color=auto '.*'

26. tig: The Git Guru

Navigate the complex lanes of your Git repositories with ease.

tig | grep --color=auto '.*'

27. rainbarf: The Artful Analyst

An artistic blend of CPU and RAM usage visualization.

rainbarf | grep --color=auto '.*'

28. ccze: The Log Luminary

Transform mundane logs into a vibrant tapestry.

tail -f /var/log/system.log | ccze

29. logtop: The Log Leaderboard

Rank your logs; see who’s on top.

tail -f /var/log/system.log | logtop | grep --color=auto '.*'

30. pipes.sh: The Playful Plumber

A whimsical display of animated pipes for your viewing pleasure.

pipes.sh | grep --color=auto '.*'