MacOS Terminal: Common Commands Like 'cd' Not Working, How to Set New Path Variable and Delete Old Ones

Introduction

In this article, we will discuss some common commands that may not work in the macOS terminal, and how to troubleshoot and fix them. We will also cover how to set new path variables and delete old ones. By the end of this article, you will have a better understanding of how to navigate and use the macOS terminal more effectively.

Common Commands Not Working in macOS Terminal

There are several common commands that may not work in the macOS terminal, such as sudo, nano, vim, ls, cd, and others. This can be frustrating, especially if you are new to using the terminal. However, there are some simple solutions to get these commands working again.

Checking for Basic Issues

The first step in troubleshooting command issues in the terminal is to check for basic issues. Make sure that the terminal is open and that you are in the correct directory. You can check your current directory by using the pwd command. If you are not in the correct directory, you can use the cd command to change directories.

If the command is still not working, try typing the full path to the command. For example, instead of typing ls, try typing /bin/ls. This will ensure that the terminal is looking in the correct location for the command.

Checking for Terminal Corruption

If the command still does not work, there may be an issue with the terminal itself. Try quitting and reopening the terminal to see if that resolves the issue. If the issue persists, try restarting your computer. This can often resolve any terminal corruption issues.

Installing Missing Commands

If the command is still not working, it may be because it is not installed on your system. For example, the nano command is not installed by default on macOS. To install it, you can use the brew install nano command. This will install the nano command and make it available in the terminal.

Setting New Path Variables and Deleting Old Ones

If you need to set new path variables or delete old ones, you can do so in the terminal. The path variable tells the terminal where to look for commands. By default, the terminal looks in the /bin, /sbin, and /usr/bin directories. However, you can add new directories to the path variable to make it easier to access commands in those directories.

Setting a New Path Variable

To set a new path variable, use the export command. For example, to add the /usr/local/bin directory to the path variable, use the following command:

This will add the /usr/local/bin directory to the beginning of the path variable, making it the first directory the terminal looks in for commands.

Deleting an Old Path Variable

To delete an old path variable, you can use the unset command. For example, to delete the /usr/local/bin directory from the path variable, use the following command:

This will remove the /usr/local/bin directory from the path variable.

In this article, we have discussed some common commands that may not work in the macOS terminal and how to troubleshoot and fix them. We have also covered how to set new path variables and delete old ones. By following the steps outlined in this article, you should be able to navigate and use the macOS terminal more effectively.

• Check for basic issues, such as being in the correct directory and trying the full path to the command.
• Check for terminal corruption by quitting and reopening the terminal or restarting your computer.
• Install missing commands using the appropriate package manager, such as brew install nano.
• Set new path variables using the export command, such as export PATH="/usr/local/bin:$PATH".
• Delete old path variables using the unset command, such as unset PATH.

References

• How to add to the path variable in macOS X
• How to fix common macOS terminal problems
• nano man page