It seems that I have started a series of “The Best…”. In fact, I think I will add that to the upper tabs. Anyways, Terminal is an application that can pull off some awesome shit. Here’s a list of its best capabilities. Many of these can be undone by changing “true” to “false” and vice-versa.

1. Cleaning out Launchpad

Let’s face it – Launchpad can be a mess at times. If you have ever wanted to clear out all of the apps in Launchpad, then use the following command:

sqlite3 ~/Library/Application\ Support/Dock/*.db "DELETE from apps; DELETE from groups WHERE title<>''; DELETE from items WHERE rowid>2;"; Killall Dock

After that, you should be able to drag and drop the applications you want in Launchpad. If you want the overstuffed Launchpad, then use this:

rm ~/Library/Application\ Support/Dock/*.db; killall Dock

2. Showing Hidden Files

Mac OS X doesn’t put any emphasis on hidden files, but if you still want to show them, here’s the command:

defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles true

3. The 2D Dock

Some people like the 2D dock that existed prior to Mac OS X 10.5. If one of those people are you, then use this:

defaults write com.apple.dock no-glass -boolean YES

After that, restart the dock:

killall Dock

If you want to undo it, change “YES” to “NO”.

4. Show the Library Folder

Why did Apple decide to hide the Library folder in Lion? I use the Library folder commonly. In fact, it was one of the “new features” I noticed in Lion. After trying to find it, I stumbled upon this command:

chflags nohidden ~/Library/

5. Hide Desktop Icons

Ever wanted to hide the icons on your desktop? Use this:

defaults write com.apple.finder CreateDesktop -bool false

6. Disable Dashboard

I like Dashboard, but for those that don’t, it can easily be disabled.

defaults write com.apple.dashboard mcx-disabled -boolean YES

Then restart the Dock:

killall Dock

And those are the Terminal tricks that actually change the computer’s function. Have you ever used Terminal? I’ve been using it years.