Terminal Cheat Sheet source ~/.zshrc to reload after changes
AI Tools
Command Description
label <folder> Analyze PDFs/images with AI, preview renames
label-apply <folder> Same but actually renames and tags files
Archives
Command Description
extract <file> Unpack any archive (.zip, .tar.gz, .7z, etc.)
Autosuggestions

Zsh plugin that suggests commands as you type based on history.

Backup
Command Description
backup-dotfiles Back up terminal configs to ~/Documents

Keeps 30 days of backups, auto-cleans old ones

bat

A cat clone with syntax highlighting, line numbers, and Git integration.

btop

Resource monitor showing CPU, memory, disk, network, and processes.

Clipboard
Command Description
copypath Copy current directory path to clipboard
copyfile <file> Copy file contents to clipboard
Color Schemes

Collection of color themes for iTerm2 and other terminal emulators.

Common Commands
Command Description
pwd Print current directory (where am I?)
cd <folder> Change directory
mkdir <name> Create a new folder
rm <file> Delete a file (permanent!)
rm -r <folder> Delete a folder and its contents
cp <src> <dest> Copy a file
cp -r <src> <dest> Copy a folder and its contents
mv <src> <dest> Move or rename a file/folder
touch <file> Create an empty file
chmod +x <file> Make a file executable (run as script)
which <command> Show where a command lives
du -sh <folder> Show folder size (human-readable)
df -h Show disk space usage
grep "text" <file> Search for text inside a file
grep -r "text" <folder> Search for text in all files in a folder
find . -name "*.pdf" Find files by name pattern
head -20 <file> Show first 20 lines of a file
tail -20 <file> Show last 20 lines of a file
wc -l <file> Count lines in a file
open <file> Open file with default macOS app
open . Open current folder in Finder
clear Clear the terminal screen
history Show your command history
sudo <command> Run a command as admin (asks for password)

Use Tab to autocomplete and ↑ to recall previous commands!

eza

Modern replacement for ls with colors, icons, Git status, and tree view.

File Manager
Command Description
ranger Visual file browser in the terminal

Arrow keys to navigate · q to quit · Enter to open · / to search

yy = copy · dd = cut · pp = paste · :delete = delete

Finder Integration
Command Description
showfiles Show hidden files in Finder
hidefiles Hide hidden files in Finder
ofd Open Finder to current directory
cdf cd to whatever folder Finder has open
Git (Version Control)
Command Description
lazygit Visual git interface — stage, commit, branch
tig Browse git commit history visually
Help
Command Description
help <command> Quick examples for any command (tldr)
helpme This cheat sheet in the terminal
whatcanisay List every alias you have loaded
Homebrew

The missing package manager for macOS. Install tools with brew install.

htop

Interactive process viewer. Find and kill processes, sort by CPU or memory.

Injest

Custom ingestion pipeline for Paperless-ngx. Scans source directories, deduplicates files by content hash, and feeds unique PDFs/images to Paperless for OCR and archival. Also available as Injest.app in /Applications.

iTerm2

Feature-rich terminal emulator for macOS with split panes, search, and profiles.

Keyboard Tips
Command Description
↑ / ↓ Scroll through command history
Accept autosuggestion (the ghost text)
Option + → Accept next word of autosuggestion
Tab Autocomplete files, commands, options
Ctrl+R Search command history
lazygit

Terminal UI for Git — stage, commit, branch, merge, and rebase visually.

ncdu

Disk usage analyzer with an interactive ncurses interface.

Nerd Fonts

Patched fonts with icons for terminals, editors, and prompts.

Oh My Zsh

Framework for managing Zsh configuration with plugins, themes, and helpers.

Powerlevel10k

Fast, flexible Zsh theme with instant prompt and extensive customization.

Quick Info
Command Description
weather 3-day forecast in your terminal
weather Columbus Forecast for a specific city
btc Live Bitcoin price with ASCII chart
myip Your public IP address and location
speedtest Test your internet speed
cheat <command> Instant cheat sheet for any command
qr "text or url" Generate a QR code in your terminal
cal Calendar (cal 2026 for full year)
ranger

Terminal file manager with Vim keybindings and file previews.

Rsync — File Syncing & Backup
Command Description
rsync -av src/ dest/ Sync folders locally (archive + verbose)
rsync -av src/ user@host:dest/ Sync local folder to remote machine
rsync -av user@host:src/ dest/ Sync remote folder to local machine
rsync -av --delete src/ dest/ Mirror exactly (deletes extras in dest)
rsync -av --dry-run src/ dest/ Preview what would be synced (no changes)
rsync -av --exclude="*.log" src/ dest/ Sync but skip .log files
rsync -av --progress src/ dest/ Show progress during transfer
rsync -avz src/ user@host:dest/ Sync with compression (faster over network)

Trailing slash matters! src/ = contents of src · src = the folder itself

Always use –dry-run first to preview before syncing with –delete

speedtest-cli

Test internet bandwidth from the terminal.

SSH — Remote Connections
Command Description
ssh user@host Connect to a remote machine
ssh user@host -p 2222 Connect on a specific port
ssh-keygen Generate a new SSH key pair
ssh-copy-id user@host Copy your key to a server (no more passwords)
ssh -i ~/.ssh/mykey user@host Connect using a specific key
scp file.txt user@host:~/ Copy a file to a remote machine
scp user@host:~/file.txt . Copy a file from a remote machine
scp -r folder/ user@host:~/ Copy a folder to a remote machine
ssh -L 8080:localhost:80 user@host Forward local port to remote (tunnel)
exit Disconnect from the remote machine

Keys go in ~/.ssh/ · Config file at ~/.ssh/config saves typing

~/.ssh/config example: Host myserver → HostName 192.168.1.10, User bee

Syntax Highlighting

Zsh plugin that highlights valid commands green and errors red as you type.

System & Disk
Command Description
btop Visual system monitor (CPU, RAM, disk, network)
htop Process viewer — find and kill stuck apps
ncdu Disk usage — find what’s eating space

All three: arrow keys to navigate, q to quit

tig

Text-mode interface for Git — browse commits, diffs, and branches.

tldr

Simplified man pages with practical examples.

Viewing Files
Command Description
ls List files with colors and icons
ll Detailed list, directories first
lt Tree view (2 levels deep)
cat <file> View with syntax highlighting (bat)