commands

Using the OS X Terminal instead of the Finder to copy files

While in OS X people often copy individual files or small groups of files between locations using the Finder, there are times when you might copy hundreds if not thousands of files at a time, especially for the purposes of backing up or migrating data from one drive to another. For the most part, the Finder's copying process is perfectly adequate for moving these files; unfortunately it does have some drawbacks that can hinder the copying process.

When the Finder copies files, it first catalogs all files to be copied and then treats the copy process as one all-or-nothing … Read more

How to repeat commands in OS X Terminal

The OS X Terminal is a commonly used utility for troubleshooting OS X, because it allows you to run custom commands and scripts for looking up information and adjusting system settings. While useful, the Terminal is intended primarily for power users who have an understanding of the UNIX underpinnings in OS X.

Often when running commands in the Terminal, various iterations of the command will be executed to try different settings or perform slightly different tasks, which in the Terminal can be frustrating as it can require you type out sometimes extensively long commands over and over again.

For instance, … Read more

Four tips for the Command key in OS X

One of the defining features of the Mac platform is the Command key, which originated from the Open Apple key on earlier Apple computer systems and joins the Shift, Control, Option, and Fn keys as modifier options for keyboard shortcuts in OS X.

The Command key is the primary modifier key for the Mac platform and is used to perform basic editing and application management commands such as quitting, printing, and copying and pasting, but in addition it can be used in combinations to force a hardware reset and to boot to special modes such as the OS X Lion … Read more

De-clutter with Duplicate Commander

Duplicate files can take up a lot of valuable space on your hard drive, and they accumulate all too quickly when you frequently download, import, edit, and rename numerous files. Duplicate Commander is a simple utility that can help you identify and delete duplicate files. It has more features than some similar programs we've encountered, making it appropriate for both novices and more advanced users.

Duplicate Commander has a plain interface, and the first time the program is launched a pop-up instructs users to click the Search button to get started. We selected a folder that we wanted to … Read more

Heads up, Linux fans, Ubuntu's ditching menus

Ubuntu has announced a change to its version of Linux that ought to get hot-key junkies and voice-control enthusiasts alike to raise their heads with glee.

Ubuntu 12.04 will introduce in April a new Heads-Up Display for interacting with the operating system, wrote Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth. The HUD will allow you to "express your intent" with the operating system and the programs running on it, wrote Shuttleworth.

Currently, it's activated by hitting the Alt key, which opens a translucent box into which you can speak or type your commands. As you start to type the … Read more

Mercedes-Benz's telematics tech, naturally, is @yourCommand

Telematics. It's one of the hottest terms in the auto industry these days, and just about every carmaker is rushing to offer its own version of the connected car.

At CES today in Las Vegas, it was German automaker Mercedes-Benz's turn to paint its telematics picture, and it did so, unveiling its @yourCommand system.

As the company put it in a release, "The car becomes a mobile-communications center, then enables [the] driver and passengers to access all modern media and services at any time. Uncoupling from the conventional vehicle development cycles is achieved on the one hand … Read more

Launch programs quickly with RunWithParameters

RunWithParameters runs any program using a parameter without requiring you to open a command prompt. It integrates with shell menus in Windows Explorer, and it includes many preloaded parameters for popular utilities and browsers. It's free and open source, too.

RunWithParameters' installation wizard lets users enter any file types they want to associate with the program by typing them into a text field separated by spaces. By default, the program handles EXE, BAT, CMD, COM, MSI, and SCR files. RunWithParameters can support custom file types, too. Once you've installed RunWithParameters, you access this simple tool by right-clicking a … Read more

Options for searching the Unix man pages in Lion

If you are used to the Unix command line, then you will find yourself right at home with Apple's Terminal application in OS X. The tool launches bash as the default shell for user accounts, but you have the option of using others such as sh, zsh, and csh.

In addition to the shell environment, Apple offers a full set of BSD tools that enable you to script many tasks for automating just as you would on any Unix system.

The BSD library and other commands that Apple includes in its operating system are vast, and with hundreds of … Read more

NORAD to once again track Santa's progress

The North American Aerospace Defense Command will once again be tracking Santa Claus as he circles the globe on Christmas Eve, offering up-to-the moment online updates on St. Nick's progress in a number of languages and using Google Earth and Google Maps to display his flight path.

While the actual "tracking" starts at 3 p.m. on December 24 (GMT +8), visitors to the NORAD Santa Web site can view last year's flight path while waiting.

If you're out and about on Christmas Eve, you can also use iOS and Android apps to view Santa's progress. Santa watchers can track his updated progress on Facebook, Google+, YouTube, and Twitter. … Read more

How to rename multiple files quickly with FreeCommander

FreeCommander is a feature-rich yet free file management program for Windows that lets you view your file hierarchies in two separate panes. Among its many features, and the one that is the sole focus of this post, is its ability to rename multiple files in one fell swoop. It lets you select a group of files and create a sequential list with a single click.

Take those images you just imported from your camera--IMG0154.jpg, IMG0155.jpg, IMG0156.jpg--and turn them into something more meaningful, such as beach1.jpg, beach2.jpg, etc.

When you launch the app, you'll be greeted with a small window with two panes. Use either pane to drill down to find the files you'd like to rename. Highlight the files to rename and select File > Rename (hitting F2 will also do the trick).… Read more