Michel Coornaert
Strasbourg, France

VoiceOver 10.14

Using Terminal with VoiceOver Mac OS 10.14 Mojave


Terminal is an application included in MacOS 10.14 Mojave that can be used for asking the computer to execute certain UNIX commands.
One must be very careful when using Terminal. For example, when a file or folder is suppressed with Terminal, this operation is definitive (this is not so when suppressing a file or folder in Finder because the element is still in the Trash folder). On the other hand, Terminal gives access to hidden files and these files must always be handled with care.
The Terminal application is located in the Utilities folder that is contained in the Application folder of the computer's Home folder. At the opening of Terminal, a window is displayed including information about date of last login and computer's and user's names. Then a prompt invite the user to enter a command. The command is executed when the Return key is pressed.
To use Terminal, it is important to understand the arborescent structure of the files and folders contained in the computer. Each element (file or folder) is a vertex of a tree whose root is the computer's Home folder (Macintosh HD). In this tree, a folder is the parent of every file or folder it contains. An element can be represented by an absolute path, that is, a chain of consecutive vertices going from the root to the element, or by a relative path, that is, a chain of consecutive vertices going from the current folder to the element. In such a path, two consecutive vertices must be separated by a slash.
If a file or folder name contains a space, the name must be surrounded by quotes. Absolute paths begin with a slash indicating the root of the tree. The tilde symbol designate the user's Home folder, one point the current folder, and two points the parent of the current folder.
For instance, an absolute path of the Utilities folder is:
/Applications/Utilities
If the current folder is the user's Home folder, a relative path of the Utilities folder is:
../../Applications/Utilities
If the user's Documents folder contains a folder entitled 2020 Documents, a relative path for this folder is
~/Documents/"2020 Documents"
Note that if an element is contained in the current folder, then its name is a relative path for it.
By default, the UNIX command lin interpretator, that is, the shell, in Terminal is bash (acronym for Bourne Again shell). Other shells are avalaible in System Preferences.
The compatibility of Terminal with VoiceOver is good. One can type each command in the prompt with the keyboard. VoiceOver reads characters when typing and one can go backward or forward in the command text field by using the Left and Right arrows.
After pressing on the Return key, VoiceOver reads the result of the command. To read again the result of the command, interact with the Terminal window by pressing Ctrl + Opt + Shift + Down Arrow. One can then move in the window from line to line by pressing Ctrl + Opt + Up Arrow and Ctrl + Opt + Down Arrow, from word to word by pressing Ctrl + Opt + Left Arrow and Ctrl + Opt + Right Arrow, from character to character by pressing Ctrl + Opt + Shift + Left Arrow and Ctrl + Opt + Shift + Right Arrow. To stop interacting with the Terminal window, press Ctrl + Opt + Shift + Up Arrow.
One can move in the command history by using the Up and Down Arrows.
  • pwd (printworking directory)
    To find out the name of the current folder:
    Type the command pwd and then press the Return key.
    This actually yields an absolute path of the current folder.
    By default, the current folder is the user Home folder.

  • ls (list)
    To list the files and folders contained in the current folder that are not hidden:
    Type the command ls and then press the Return key.
    The command ls -a gives a list of all the files and folders, including the hidden ones, contained in the current folder. The command ls -l gives a detailed list of the files and folders contained in the current folder that are not hidden. The command ls -al gives a detailed list of all the files and folders, including the hidden ones, contained in the current folder.

  • cd (change directory)
    To change the current folder:
    Type the command cd followed by a path leading to the new current folder and then press the Return key.
    Example: by typing cd Applications and then pressing the Return key, the current folder becomes the folder Applications under the condition that the current folder does contain a folder entitled Applications (otherwise an error message is displayed).
    Example: by typing cd "2020 Documents" and then pressing the Return key, the current folder becomes the folder 2020 Documents under the condition that the current folder does contain a folder entitled 2020 Documents.
    Example: by typing cd Documents/Research/Articles and then pressing the Return key, the current folder becomes the folder Articles under the condition that there is a folder Articles contained in the Research folder of the Docuements folder of the current folder (here one uses a relative path).
    Example: by typing cd /Applications/Utilities and then pressing the Return key, the current folder becomes the Utilities folder (here one uses an absolute path).

  • touch
    To create a new file in the current folder:
    Type the command touch followed by the name of the file and then press the Return key.
    Example: by typing touch articles.html and then pressing the Return key, a file entitled articles.html is created in the current folder.

  • mkdir (make directory)
    To create a new folder in the current folder:
    Type the command mkdir followed by the name of the folder and then press the Return key.
    Example: by typing mkdir Articles and then pressing the Return key, a folder entitled Articles is created in the current folder.

  • rm (remove)
    To suppress a file :
    Type the command rm followed by a path leading to the file that must be suppressed and then press the Return key.
    To suppress a folder and all the elements (files and subfolders) that it contains:
    Type the command rm -r followed by a path leading to the folder that must be suppressed and then press the Return key.
    One must be very careful when using the command rm because its execution is definitive.

  • date
    To display date and time:
    Type the command date and then press the Return key.

  • say
    To hear a text read by the default voice of the computer:
    Type the command say followed by the text to be read and then press the Return key.
    Example: by typing say Hello Strasbourg and then pressing the Return key, one hears the default voice of the computer saying Hello Strasbourg.

  • man (manual)
    To display an information manual about a command:
    Type the command man followed by the command and then press the Return key.
    One can move inside the manual by using the Arrows.
    Press the key q to quit the manual.
    Example: by typing man ls and then pressing the Return key, one gets information about the command ls.

  • cp (copy)
    Use the command cp to copy an element.
    Example: by typing cp ~/Documents/article.tex ~/Desktop/ and then pressing the Return key, the file article.tex is copied in the user's Desktop folder.
    Example: by typing cp *.txt Articles and then pressing the Return key, the files in the current folder with extension txt are copied in the folder Articles of the current folder.

  • Add | open -fe to a command for opening a text file in TextEdit containing the result of the command.
    Example: by typing ls | open -fe and then pressing the Return key, a text file containing the list of visible elements of the current folder is opened in TextEdit.

  • Add > followed by the name of a file to a command in order to create a file containing the result of the command.
    Example: by typing ls > liste.txt and then pressing the Return key, a file entitled liste.txt is created in the current folder containing the list of the visible elements contained in the current folder.
    If the file already exists, the result of the command is added to the end of the file.


  • To find out the version of Terminal on your computer:
    Go to the Menu bar by pressing Ctrl + Opt + m, then
    Go to "Terminal" with the Right Arrow, then
    Go to "About Terminal" with the Down Arrow, then
    Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar, then
    Move with Ctrl + Opt + Left arrow and Ctrl + Opt + Right arrow until hearing the Terminal version.

  • Terminal Version: 2.9.5 (421.2)

    • Some shortcuts

    To copy: Cmd + c
    To paste: Cmd + v
    To select all: Cmd + a
    To quit Terminal: Cmd + q
  • VoiceOver comands


  • Please send me your questions or suggestions by e-mail

    • Last update: September 3, 2019