The Mac Terminal app provides access to macOS’s UNIX underpinnings. Learn how to personalize Terminal’s appearance in macOS.
The UNIX operating system has a rich history dating back to the 1970s, with AT&T owning the rights to UNIX System V. Variants like BSD, including FreeBSD, have played a crucial role in the evolution of the internet.
In the early days of UNIX, users interacted with mainframe computers through terminals. These terminals transmitted commands and data to run programs on the mainframe.
With the advent of desktop PCs in the late 1970s, UNIX began to make its way onto the desktop, thanks to companies like Sun Microsystems. Apple introduced macOS in 2000, giving users access to a modern UNIX system.
The macOS Terminal app, found in the /Applications/Utilities folder, allows users to run UNIX commands. The app opens a shell window where commands can be executed.
To customize Terminal, navigate to the Settings menu. Here, you can modify various options, such as Profiles, General settings, and Advanced terminal configurations. You can also create custom Profiles and export them for use on other Macs.
Customizing text and window settings in Terminal is simple with options like font selection, background color, and window dimensions. Changes take effect immediately upon modification.
For a deeper dive into the history of terminals, including teletypes and teleprinters, check out the TTY setting in Terminal. You can also explore various display options to tailor Terminal to your preferences.
Stay tuned for future articles covering additional ways to customize Terminal, such as environment variables and startup files. In the meantime, leverage the built-in settings to enhance your Terminal experience.