Restart computers using Terminal on Mac
To restart a computer now or at a specific time using Terminal, you can use the shutdown
command or the systemsetup
command. The following examples show some ways to use these commands, but for complete information about them, see the shutdown command man page and the systemsetup command man page.
Tip: It’s easier to restart your Mac by choosing Apple menu > Restart, or shut it down by choosing Apple menu > Shut Down. See Shut down or restart your Mac.
Restart the local computer
In the Terminal app on your Mac, enter the following command:
% sudo shutdown -r now
Restart a remote computer immediately
In the Terminal app on your Mac, enter the following commands:
% ssh -l admincomputer
% sudo shutdown -r now
Replace admin with the short name of a user account on the remote computer.
Replace computer with the IP address or host name of the remote computer.
Restart a remote computer at a specific time
In the Terminal app on your Mac, enter the following commands:
% ssh -l admin computer
% sudo shutdown -r hhmm
Replace admin with the short name of a user account on the remote computer.
Replace computer with the IP address or host name of the remote computer.
Replace hhmm with the hour and minute you want the remote computer to restart.
Restart automatically after power failure
In the Terminal app on your Mac, enter the following command:
% sudo systemsetup -setwaitforstartupafterpowerfailure seconds
Replace seconds with the number of seconds before the computer starts after a power failure. This value must be 0 (zero) or a multiple of 30.
Note: You can also use Energy Saver preferences to set a Mac to restart automatically after a power failure.