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Few additions. open -n file.pdf : opens new instance of Preview application which is useful if you want to open the same file twice (for example to look at dif

Few additions. open -n file.pdf : opens new instance of Preview application which is useful if you want to open the same file twice (for example to look at different pages at once). caffeinate -d : prevents display turning off, useful if you want to look at display without moving mouse.

wwader 2y ago
open -a is nice, i use it with alias, ex: alias qt='open -a "quicktime player"' alias vlc='open -a "vlc"'
- FabHK 2y ago
  At least for me (I've installed vlc via homebrew), there is a vlc binary in the PATH, and I can just vlc <filename>
  - qrios 2y ago
    The point here is to open a document with an app not assigned as default for the given mime-type by file name extension.
mjs 2y ago
Does `open` give focus? It used to, but since a few releases ago the app opens in the background, which is pretty annoying. My poor workaround is to use osascript: `tell application "System Events" to set frontmost of process "Finder" to true`
- masswerk 2y ago
  Apparently, it does. There is a -g flag (background) to prevent focus.
- justletmein 2y ago
  Isn’t open opening apps in the background a consequence of having “secure keyboard entry” enabled in Terminal.app?
troupo 2y ago
`caffeinate -disu` is the best combination (that is, enable all options): your laptop won't go to sleep, won't dim the screem etc.
1ncorrect 2y ago
I use this all the time: open -a <GUI Application> <File> Handy for distinguishing between editing and consuming media.
alsetmusic 2y ago
Also, `cd .` to open the current directory in a Finder window. Not mine (found online years ago), but here's the opposite. `cd` into the frontmost Finder window: cd "$(osascript -e 'tell app "Finder" to POSIX path of (insertion location as alias)')";
- kps 2y ago
  You mean `open .`
  - alsetmusic 2y ago
    Yeah, I had just woke up. Drat.
- sneak 2y ago
  You can also just drag the proxy icon onto the terminal window for its path, ie “cd “ <drop>, enter.
  - kstrauser 2y ago
    I use that all the time. You can also cmd-c copy a file in Finder then paste into the terminal to get its path.
    - alsetmusic 2y ago
      I genuinely didn't know this. I would have thought I had to do the "copy as pathname" trick with a right-click while holding Option. I already knew the drag and drop feature, so this doesn't really save me time, but it's good to know another nice feature.
hk1337 2y ago
open -a "Finder" . - open Finder in the current directory. Standard apps usually just need the name, like Finder and Safari but you can also specify the path "/Applications/DifferentFinder.app"
- ssttoo 2y ago
  `open .` works for me too
  - hk1337 2y ago
    Yeah, I scrolled a bit and noticed that. Never thought about using just that.
    - 1-more 2y ago
      Also `open -R path/to/file` opens Finder in the containing directory with the file highlighted (and thus scrolled into view). I use this with a script that takes a screen recording and trims some specified seconds off the end and converts it to mp4 to be smaller when I upload into a Github PR description. Easiest to drag and drop the converted file, y'see.
- nextos 2y ago
  Finder is pretty good, and it's handy to be able to open it from the terminal. But I find it super annoying it litters everything with .DS_Store files and there is no way to turn that off, except for external and network drives. Aside from, obviously, using a different file manager. Very un-Apple.
  - nutrie 2y ago
    Actually, .DS_Store is very Apple indeed (not that I care much).
  - dwaite 2y ago
    The .DS_Store files are not Finder specific; Apple treats everything as a file (including folders), and it exists to supply folders and the files within them with metadata. It is just the first time the .DS_Store file is needed is often when the folder is touched by Finder.
impalallama 2y ago
caffeinate -d is incredibly useful for work... uh reasons
- JasserInicide 2y ago
  Jiggler is better for that at least from a set-it-and-forget-it perspective vs. caffeinate where you have to manually set it.
seec 2y ago
That's one of macOS pitfalls: the inability to open 2 instances of the same app, simply using the default GUI is annoying sometimes. I think Windows is right in that matter...
beancookies 2y ago
Another useful caffeinate tip is the `-w` option. You can use it to pass a pid to keep the computer awake until that process completes. I use it for longer-running scripts that I don't want interrupted
- justinsaccount 2y ago
  That's mostly what `caffeinate your-script` is for.

wwader 2y ago

open -a is nice, i use it with alias, ex: alias qt='open -a "quicktime player"' alias vlc='open -a "vlc"'

FabHK 2y ago
At least for me (I've installed vlc via homebrew), there is a vlc binary in the PATH, and I can just vlc <filename>
- qrios 2y ago
  The point here is to open a document with an app not assigned as default for the given mime-type by file name extension.

mjs 2y ago

Does `open` give focus? It used to, but since a few releases ago the app opens in the background, which is pretty annoying. My poor workaround is to use osascript: `tell application "System Events" to set frontmost of process "Finder" to true`

masswerk 2y ago
Apparently, it does. There is a -g flag (background) to prevent focus.
justletmein 2y ago
Isn’t open opening apps in the background a consequence of having “secure keyboard entry” enabled in Terminal.app?

troupo 2y ago

`caffeinate -disu` is the best combination (that is, enable all options): your laptop won't go to sleep, won't dim the screem etc.

1ncorrect 2y ago

I use this all the time: open -a <GUI Application> <File> Handy for distinguishing between editing and consuming media.

alsetmusic 2y ago

Also, `cd .` to open the current directory in a Finder window. Not mine (found online years ago), but here's the opposite. `cd` into the frontmost Finder window: cd "$(osascript -e 'tell app "Finder" to POSIX path of (insertion location as alias)')";

kps 2y ago
You mean `open .`
- alsetmusic 2y ago
  Yeah, I had just woke up. Drat.
sneak 2y ago
You can also just drag the proxy icon onto the terminal window for its path, ie “cd “ <drop>, enter.
- kstrauser 2y ago
  I use that all the time. You can also cmd-c copy a file in Finder then paste into the terminal to get its path.
  - alsetmusic 2y ago
    I genuinely didn't know this. I would have thought I had to do the "copy as pathname" trick with a right-click while holding Option. I already knew the drag and drop feature, so this doesn't really save me time, but it's good to know another nice feature.

hk1337 2y ago

open -a "Finder" . - open Finder in the current directory. Standard apps usually just need the name, like Finder and Safari but you can also specify the path "/Applications/DifferentFinder.app"

ssttoo 2y ago
`open .` works for me too
- hk1337 2y ago
  Yeah, I scrolled a bit and noticed that. Never thought about using just that.
  - 1-more 2y ago
    Also `open -R path/to/file` opens Finder in the containing directory with the file highlighted (and thus scrolled into view). I use this with a script that takes a screen recording and trims some specified seconds off the end and converts it to mp4 to be smaller when I upload into a Github PR description. Easiest to drag and drop the converted file, y'see.
nextos 2y ago
Finder is pretty good, and it's handy to be able to open it from the terminal. But I find it super annoying it litters everything with .DS_Store files and there is no way to turn that off, except for external and network drives. Aside from, obviously, using a different file manager. Very un-Apple.
- nutrie 2y ago
  Actually, .DS_Store is very Apple indeed (not that I care much).
- dwaite 2y ago
  The .DS_Store files are not Finder specific; Apple treats everything as a file (including folders), and it exists to supply folders and the files within them with metadata. It is just the first time the .DS_Store file is needed is often when the folder is touched by Finder.

impalallama 2y ago

caffeinate -d is incredibly useful for work... uh reasons

JasserInicide 2y ago
Jiggler is better for that at least from a set-it-and-forget-it perspective vs. caffeinate where you have to manually set it.

seec 2y ago

That's one of macOS pitfalls: the inability to open 2 instances of the same app, simply using the default GUI is annoying sometimes. I think Windows is right in that matter...

beancookies 2y ago

Another useful caffeinate tip is the `-w` option. You can use it to pass a pid to keep the computer awake until that process completes. I use it for longer-running scripts that I don't want interrupted

justinsaccount 2y ago
That's mostly what `caffeinate your-script` is for.