Terminal is an application that gives you access to the inner workings of a Mac through a command-line interface (CLI). Using this application gives you the ability to make any changes to the operating system that are not available from the graphical user interface (GUI). When launching the Terminal, you will open the Unix command-line environment (shell). Apple uses one of them in its system, called Bash. Using the Terminal is very simple. You enter a command in the command line and hit the Return enter key to execute it.
However, in order to use the Terminal, you need to understand its basic commands and functions, and, of course, how to open it on macOS. Also, keep in mind that the built-in Terminal on a Mac is not a panacea, and there are many alternatives, which will be discussed further and you can decide whether to use the built-in one or choose your best Terminal for Mac.
One of the more popular terminal emulators available right now is iTerm2. Developed by George Nachmen and licensed under GPL v2, this emulator is the successor to the original iTerm. Seeing a lot popularity on Reddit, the amount of features packed into this emulator easily explains why.
One of the main reasons why users love this terminal emulator is the amount of features packed into the program. Easily one of the best would be the fact that iTerm2 offers the ability for split panes. For those that are heavily involved with their terminal, this can be a major time saver, as users can divide a tab into several different panes. With each pane showing a different session, users can slice them horizontally and vertically to create nearly infinite arrangements. Furthermore, inactive panes will dim, allowing you to easily know which one is active.
Additionally, iTerm2 also includes a robust search, hotkey options, autocomplete, instant replay and more. Available for anyone running macOS 10.15 or later, this may be a great option for those that love utilizing the command-line interface. Even better, the emulator is free. Though, if you love it, you should consider donating.
