macOS commands for troubleshooting various issues

 

Here are some essential macOS commands for troubleshooting various issues. These commands can be executed in the Terminal, which you can open by searching for "Terminal" in Spotlight or navigating to Applications > Utilities > Terminal.

1. Check Disk Status

• diskutil list: Lists all disks and partitions.
• diskutil verifyDisk /dev/diskX: Verifies the disk's integrity (replace X with the appropriate disk number from diskutil list).
• diskutil repairDisk /dev/diskX: Repairs disk issues.

2. Repair Disk Permissions

• diskutil repairPermissions /: Repairs the disk permissions of the startup disk.

3. Check System Logs

• log show --predicate 'eventMessage contains "error"' --info: Shows logs containing errors.
• tail -f /var/log/system.log: Continuously monitors the system log for new entries.

4. Network Troubleshooting

• ping www.example.com: Tests connectivity to a website.
• ifconfig: Displays network interface information.
• networksetup -listallhardwareports: Lists all network hardware ports.
• networksetup -setdnsservers Wi-Fi 8.8.8.8: Sets the DNS server for the Wi-Fi interface to Google’s DNS (8.8.8.8).

5. System Performance

• top: Displays real-time system processes and performance.
• ps -ax: Lists all running processes.
• sudo killall processname: Force quits a specific process (replace processname with the actual name).

6. Safe Mode

• sudo nvram boot-args="-x": Enables Safe Mode.
• sudo nvram boot-args="": Disables Safe Mode.

7. Clear Caches

• sudo rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/*: Clears user cache.
• sudo rm -rf /Library/Caches/*: Clears system cache.

8. Manage Startup Items

• sudo defaults read /Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow AutoLaunchedApplicationDictionary: Lists all startup items.
• sudo defaults delete /Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow AutoLaunchedApplicationDictionary: Deletes a specific startup item.

9. Reset NVRAM/PRAM

• sudo nvram -c: Clears NVRAM.
• sudo nvram boot-args="reset": Resets PRAM.

10. Reset SMC

• For MacBooks with non-removable batteries:
  1. Shut down your Mac.
  2. Press and hold Shift + Control + Option on the left side and the power button simultaneously.
  3. Hold for 10 seconds, then release.
  4. Turn on your Mac.

11. Kill Unresponsive Applications

• killall -9 Finder: Force restarts Finder.
• killall -9 Dock: Force restarts the Dock.

12. Backup Management

• tmutil listbackups: Lists all Time Machine backups.
• tmutil delete /Path/To/Backup: Deletes a specific Time Machine backup.

13. System Information

• system_profiler SPSoftwareDataType: Displays detailed system information.

14. Memory Usage

• vm_stat: Displays virtual memory statistics.
• sudo purge: Frees up inactive memory.

15. Update macOS

• softwareupdate -l: Lists all available software updates.
• softwareupdate -i "update-name": Installs a specific update (replace "update-name" with the actual update name).

16. Force Restart

• sudo shutdown -r now: Forces an immediate restart.

17. Check System Integrity Protection (SIP) Status

• csrutil status: Checks if SIP is enabled or disabled.
• csrutil enable or csrutil disable: Enables or disables SIP (requires reboot in recovery mode).

18. Flush DNS Cache

• sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder: Flushes DNS cache (works in macOS Mojave and later).

Using these commands can help you diagnose and fix common issues on your Mac. Be cautious when using commands with sudo, as they can significantly alter system behavior.