User Guide: Your Terminal Command Center (iTerm2) 💻

The terminal is your tool for controlling your Mac using text commands. Forget clicking menus – here, you type! This guide focuses on iTerm2, a powerful and customizable alternative to the basic Mac Terminal.app. Inside iTerm2, your shell (configured as Zsh) helps you run commands efficiently.

Why Use iTerm2? 🤔

iTerm2 makes working in the terminal easier and more productive with features like:

  • Tabs: Open multiple terminal sessions in one window (Cmd + T for a new tab).
  • Panes: Split a single tab into multiple sections to run commands side-by-side (Cmd + D for vertical split, Cmd + Shift + D for horizontal split).
  • Custom Looks: Change colors, fonts, and transparency to suit your style (Cmd + , to open settings).
  • Search: Quickly find text in your terminal output (Cmd + F).
  • Profiles: Save different settings for different tasks.

How to Open iTerm2 🚀

You can launch iTerm2 just like any other app:

  1. Spotlight Search: Press Cmd + Space, type iTerm, and press Enter.
  2. Applications Folder: Open /Applications and double-click iTerm.

Understanding the iTerm2 Window 👀

Here’s what you’ll see when you open iTerm2:

  • The Prompt: This is where you type commands. It usually ends with $. Your Powerlevel10k prompt shows helpful info like your current folder and Git status: 
    ╭─ ravi@Raviss-MacBook-Pro ~/Projects/dotFile (main ✔)
╰─ $ _
    (In this example, the user ravi is in the folder ~/Projects/dotFile, on the Git branch main with no changes (✔), ready to type a command ($).)
  • Cursor: The blinking underscore _ or block shows where your typing will appear.
  • Tabs: Like browser tabs, they let you open multiple terminal sessions (Cmd + T for new, Cmd + W to close).
  • Panes: Split your terminal into sections to multitask:
    • Cmd + D: Split the current pane vertically.
    • Cmd + Shift + D: Split the current pane horizontally.
    • Cmd + ] or Cmd + [: Switch between panes.
    • Cmd + W: Close the current pane.

Basic Commands and Shortcuts ⌨️

Here are some essential commands and shortcuts to get started:

Running Commands

  • Execute: Type a command (e.g., ls -lha or pwd) and press Enter.
  • Stop a Command: If a command is stuck, press Ctrl + C to interrupt it.

  • Tab Completion: Start typing a command, file, or folder name, then press Tab:

    • If there’s one match, it completes automatically.
    • If there are multiple matches, it shows a list. Press Tab again to cycle through them.
    • Example: Type cd Proj and press Tab. It might complete to cd Projects/.

  • Command History:

    • Use the Up Arrow to see previous commands.
    • Use the Down Arrow to move forward in history.
    • Press Ctrl + R, then type part of an old command to search your history. Press Enter to run it or Ctrl + C to cancel.

Clearing the Screen

  • Ctrl + L: Clears the visible terminal screen (scroll up to see previous output).
  • Cmd + K: Clears the entire scrollback buffer (everything above is gone).
  • clear: Typing this and pressing Enter does the same as Ctrl + L.

Copying and Pasting

  • Copy: Select text with your mouse. In iTerm2, selecting text usually copies it automatically (check settings). Otherwise, use Cmd + C.
  • Paste: Press Cmd + V.

Practice and Explore! 🎉

The terminal is a powerful tool once you get the hang of it. Start with these basics, and don’t be afraid to experiment (safely). For more commands, check out the "Basic Terminal Commands" guide.