macOS Terminal – Power User Tips

# Create a directory and cd into it immediately
mkcd() {
    mkdir -p "$1" && cd "$1"
}

# Find a file by name anywhere from current directory
ff() {
    find . -name "*$1*" 2>/dev/null
}

# Search for text recursively and show filename + line number
rg() {
    grep -rn "$1" . --include="*.${2:-*}"
}

# Extract any archive format
extract() {
    case "$1" in
        *.tar.gz|*.tgz)  tar xzf "$1" ;;
        *.tar.bz2)       tar xjf "$1" ;;
        *.tar.xz)        tar xJf "$1" ;;
        *.zip)           unzip "$1" ;;
        *.gz)            gunzip "$1" ;;
        *.rar)           unrar x "$1" ;;
        *.7z)            7z x "$1" ;;
        *)               echo "Unknown format: $1" ;;
    esac
}

# Quick HTTP server in current directory
serve() {
    local port="${1:-8000}"
    echo "Serving on http://localhost:$port"
    python3 -m http.server "$port"
}

# Show top 10 largest files in current directory
biggest() {
    du -sh * | sort -rh | head -10
}

# Kill whatever is running on a given port
killport() {
    lsof -ti ":$1" | xargs kill -9
}

mkcd my-new-project    # creates folder and enters it
ff docker-compose      # finds files with docker-compose in the name
serve 3000             # starts HTTP server on port 3000
killport 8080          # kills whatever is on port 8080
extract archive.tar.gz # extracts any archive

# Case-insensitive search
grep -i "error" logfile.txt

# Show line numbers
grep -n "error" logfile.txt

# Show 3 lines before and after each match
grep -C 3 "error" logfile.txt

# Count matches
grep -c "error" logfile.txt

# Invert — show lines that do NOT match
grep -v "debug" logfile.txt

# Search multiple files recursively
grep -r "TODO" ~/projects/ --include="*.py"

# Replace first occurrence per line
sed 's/old/new/' file.txt

# Replace all occurrences per line
sed 's/old/new/g' file.txt

# Edit file in place (no backup)
sed -i '' 's/old/new/g' file.txt

# Delete lines matching a pattern
sed '/debug/d' file.txt

# Print only lines 5-10
sed -n '5,10p' file.txt

# Print the second column of a file
awk '{print $2}' file.txt

# Print lines where column 3 is greater than 100
awk '$3 > 100' file.txt

# Sum all values in column 1
awk '{sum += $1} END {print sum}' file.txt

# Use comma as delimiter (for CSV)
awk -F',' '{print $1, $3}' data.csv

# Print filename and line count for all .md files
awk 'END {print FILENAME, NR}' *.md

# Find files modified in the last 7 days
find . -mtime -7 -type f

# Find files larger than 100MB
find . -size +100M

# Find and delete all .DS_Store files
find . -name ".DS_Store" -delete

# Find empty directories
find . -type d -empty

# Find files and execute a command on each
find . -name "*.log" -exec rm {} \;

# Find files by permission
find . -perm 644 -type f

# Pipe output of one command into another
cat file.txt | grep "error" | sort | uniq

# Redirect output to a file (overwrite)
ls -la > output.txt

# Append to a file
echo "new line" >> output.txt

# Redirect stderr to a file
command 2> errors.txt

# Redirect both stdout and stderr
command > output.txt 2>&1

# Discard output entirely
command > /dev/null 2>&1

# Use output of a command as input to another
diff <(ls dir1/) <(ls dir2/)

# Run a command in the background
long-command &

# List background jobs
jobs

# Bring background job to foreground
fg %1

# Send running command to background (CTRL+Z then bg)
bg %1

# Run command immune to terminal close
nohup long-command &

# Find process by name
ps aux | grep nginx

# Kill process by name
pkill nginx

# Kill process by port
lsof -ti :3000 | xargs kill -9

# GET request
curl https://api.example.com/data

# GET with headers shown
curl -I https://example.com

# POST with JSON body
curl -X POST https://api.example.com/users \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name": "Patrik", "email": "test@example.com"}'

# Download a file
curl -O https://example.com/file.zip

# Follow redirects
curl -L https://example.com

# Silent mode (no progress bar)
curl -s https://api.example.com/data

# Check your public IP
curl -s ifconfig.me

brew install jq

# Pretty print JSON
curl -s https://api.github.com/users/octocat | jq .

# Extract a specific field
curl -s https://api.github.com/users/octocat | jq .name

# Extract from an array
curl -s https://api.github.com/users/octocat/repos | jq '.[0].name'

# Filter array items
curl -s https://api.github.com/users/octocat/repos | jq '.[] | select(.language == "Ruby") | .name'

brew install tmux

# Start a named session for your project
tmux new -s weichertlabs

# Split into two panes — editor on left, terminal on right
CTRL+B %

# Detach — session keeps running even after closing the terminal
CTRL+B d

# Reattach later
tmux attach -t weichertlabs

# Show directory size sorted largest first
du -sh */ | sort -rh

# Count lines in all .md files
find . -name "*.md" | xargs wc -l

# Show last 50 commands from history
history | tail -50

# Search command history
history | grep docker

# Repeat last command with sudo
sudo !!

# Create a dated backup of a file
cp config.yml config.yml.$(date +%Y%m%d)

# Watch a command update every 2 seconds
watch -n 2 docker ps

# Show open network connections
lsof -i -n -P

# Generate a random password
openssl rand -base64 32

# Check certificate expiry for a domain
echo | openssl s_client -connect weichertlabs.com:443 2>/dev/null | openssl x509 -noout -dates