A Terminal window showing a script that erases a disk.

Get started with Terminal

Use your scripting experience and the features in Terminal to create, organise and manage your shell scripts.

How to get started with Terminal

Three Terminal windows, each with a different background colour.

Make Terminal windows stand out with profiles

When you’re logged in to several servers, unique background colours and window titles specified in profiles help you easily spot the right Terminal window. Use profiles built into Terminal, or create your own custom profiles.

How to create profiles for Terminal windows

A Terminal window, showing marks and bookmarks on the left and right sides of the window, and a timestamped bookmark above a command prompt.

Navigate Terminal windows

Add marks and bookmarks as you work, then use them to quickly navigate through lengthy Terminal window output.

How to use marks and bookmarks

The Inspector pane in Terminal.

Manage processes

Use the inspector to view and manage running processes, and change window titles and background colours.

How to use the inspector

What is Terminal?

Read a basic introduction to Terminal.

Learn about Terminal

Look up scripting commands

Open Unix manual (man) pages to look up commands.

Learn about UNIX Manual Pages

Introduce yourself to scripting

Read an in-depth primer on Unix scripting.

View the Shell Scripting Primer

To explore the Terminal User Guide, click Table of Contents at the top of the page, or enter a word or phrase in the search field.

Helpful?
Character limit: 250
Maximum character limit is 250.
Thanks for your feedback.