The OS X Terminal opens up a world of powerful UNIX utilities and scripts. If you're migrating from Linux, you'll find many familiar commands work the way you expect. But power users often aren.
Whether you’ve purchased a new Mac with OS X Yosemite preinstalled or have upgraded from a previous version of OS X, you’ll find new features in OS X Yosemite that make your Mac easier to use and improvements that make you more productive.
What Not to Do with Your Mac that’s Running Yosemite
Treat your Mac and OS X Yosemite with care. To keep your work and leisure projects safe, never do any of these things with your Mac:
Never shut off your Mac by pulling the plug. Always use the Shut Down command from the Apple menu in Yosemite (or press the Power button and then click the Shut Down button).
If you’re using a laptop, you can usually get away with pulling the plug while it’s running because the battery automatically kicks in. The only caveat is that if your battery is totally depleted, damaged, or missing entirely, you could suffer directory damage or data loss by pulling the plug. Just use the Shut Down command, and you’ll sleep well.
Never bump, drop, shake, wobble, dribble, drop-kick, or play catch with a hard drive while it’s running Yosemite. Don’t forget: Your desktop Mac has a hard or solid-state drive inside it, too.
Never get up from your Mac without saving your work. Just before your behind leaves the chair, your fingers should be pressing Command+S (which is the keyboard shortcut in OS X that saves your work). Make it a habit.
Never keep only one copy of your important documents. Make at least two backup copies and keep one of them in another physical location. Period.
Never clean your monitor with a glass cleaner, such as Windex (or another product not designed to be used on a video display). And nix the paper towels or tissues, too. Use a soft cloth (microfiber is best) to avoid scratching the display.
Never pay attention to anyone who says that Windows 8 is just like the Mac. Yeah, right. And Kia is the Asian cousin of BMW.
6 Favorite Websites for OS X Yosemite Users
To learn about all things Macintosh and OS X Yosemite, hop onto the web, check out these sites, and stuff your brain with Mac information:
Alltop aggregates information from dozens of great Mac-oriented websites and makes it easy to skim headlines and story summaries. You can even build your own custom version that contains only sites you want to see.
The Apple support site and Apple support communities are treasure troves of tech notes, software update information, troubleshooting tips, and documentation for most Apple products.
Download.com, the site formerly known as VersionTracker, is the place to go to find freeware, shareware, and software updates for OS X. If this site doesn’t have it, it probably doesn’t exist.
Macworld describes itself as, “Your best source for all things Apple,” and it’s not far from the truth. Macworld is especially strong for comparative reviews of Mac and iPhone/iPad products. If you want to find out which inkjet printer or digital camera is the best in its price class, Macworld.com probably has feature comparison charts and real-world test results.
The Mac Observeroffers insightful opinion pieces in addition to the usual Apple news and product reviews. The quality and depth of the writing at The Mac Observer is superior to most other sites covering the Apple beat.
TidBITS bills itself as “Apple news for the rest of us,” but there’s much more to TidBITS than just the news. You can also find thoughtful commentary, in-depth analysis, and detailed product reviews, written and edited by pros who really know the Apple ecosystem.
Handy Keyboard Shortcuts for OS X Yosemite
Work For Mac Cosmetics
Make your work go faster with these OS X Yosemite keyboard shortcuts. Print this chart and refer to it when you need shortcuts while using OS X Yosemite.
What Linux Commands Work For Mac Os Yosemite To High Sierra
| Command | Keyboard Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Add Selected Item to Sidebar | Command+Control+T |
| Close All Windows | Option+Command+W |
| Close Window | Command+W |
| Copy | Command+C |
| Cut | Command+X |
| Dashboard | F12 (fn+F12 on laptops) |
| Duplicate | Command+D |
| Eject Disk | Command+E |
| Empty Trash | Shift+Command+Delete |
| Find | Command+F |
| Get Info (on selected item or items) | Command+I |
| Show Inspector (on selected item or items) | Command+Option+I |
| Go to All My Files | Shift+Command+F |
| Go to Applications Folder | Shift+Command+A |
| Go to Desktop | Shift+Command+D |
| Go to Home Folder | Shift+Command+H |
| Help | Shift+Command+? |
| Hide Current Application | Command+H |
| Hide Other Applications | Command+Shift+H |
| Log Out Current User | Shift+Command+Q |
| Make Alias | Command+L |
| Minimize Window | Command+M |
| Mission Control: All Windows | Control+Up Arrow (F3 on Apple keyboards) |
| Mission Control: Application Windows | Control+Down Arrow (Control+F3 on Apple keyboards) |
| Mission Control: Show Desktop | F11 (fn+F11 on laptops) (Command+F3 on Apple keyboards) |
| Move to Trash | Command+Delete |
| Empty Trash | Shift+Command+Delete |
| New Finder Window | Command+N |
| New Folder | Shift+Command+N |
| New Smart Folder | Option+Command+N |
| Next Window | Command+` |
| Open | Command+O |
| Open Inspector | Option+Command+I |
| Paste | Command+V |
| Quick Look (at selected item) | Command+Y or Spacebar |
| Select All | Command+A |
| Show Original (of selected alias) | Command+R |
| Show View Options | Command+J |
| Show/Hide Sidebar | Option+Command+S |
| Show/Hide Dock | Option+Command+D |
| Show/Hide Status Bar | Command+/ |
| Show/Hide Tab Bar | Shift+Command+T |
| Show/Hide Toolbar | Option+Command+T |
| Turn VoiceOver On/Off | Command+F5 (fn+F5 on laptops) |
| Turn Zoom On/Off | Option+Command+8 |
| Undo | Command+Z |
| Redo | Command+Shift+Z |
| View Window as Icons | Command+1 |
| View Window as List | Command+2 |
| View Window as Columns | Command+3 |
| View Window as Cover Flow | Command+4 |