Taming the Terminal

Episodes

1. 47

   TTT 41 of n — Protecting Your Secrets

   We're back after a (planned) lengthy hiatus! In this instalment, Bart teaches us how to protect our secrets while working in the Terminal. Secrets can include passwords, API keys, and any other sensitive information you'd like to protect. Without the tools Bart teaches us, any secrets you type…

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   Dec 18, 2025

   1h 01m
2. 46

   TTT 40 of n – Automating TMUX

   In this episode of Taming the Terminal, Bart winds up our series within a series all about the Terminal command TMUX. In this final piece he teaches us first how to string commands together to create the TMUX sessions we want with the screens split and the processes running in each pane as we…

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   Aug 16, 2020

   1h 13m
3. 45

   TTT 37A of n – SSH Agents

   In 2017 on Taming the Terminal installment 37 of n, Bart taught us about SSH agents and the advantages of using a passphrase to further protect your SSH keys. In the intervening four years, things have changed a bit in macOS, so we decided to do a supplemental update to installment 37. We review…

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   May 27, 2017

   31m
4. 44

   TTT 37 of n – SSH Agents

   As promised, Taming the Terminal isn't over yet! Bart Busschots joins us to talk about SSH Agents. We'll talk about how Apple changed things in El Capitan so that you'll have to log into your server with your passphrase more often, and how Bart has a fix for that problem. Bart does a great job of...

   May 27, 2017
5. 43

   TTT 36 of n - screen and cron

   It’s been a long time since we did a Taming the Terminal episode but we’re back with episode 36 of n, screen and cron. You’ll hear me say this is episode 35, but with all these numbers flying around we got mixed up! In any case, in this installment Bart teaches us two unrelated but really cool...

   Nov 19, 2016

   1h 03m
6. 42

   TTT 35 of n - HTTP Commands

   In this installment we look at three terminal commands for interacting with the world wide web from the terminal. We'll look at a command-line based browser, and commands for downloading files and viewing HTTP headers. As always, you can get to Bart's fabulous tutorial shownotes at...

   Oct 23, 2015
7. 41

   TTT 33 of n - SSH Bookmarks

   In this installment we learn how to use SSH config files to automate some aspects of SSH, creating what amount to bookmarks to servers we connect to often. We'll also look at some GUIs for storing SSH connection details. As always, you can get to Bart's fabulous tutorial shownotes at...

   Oct 23, 2015
8. 40

   TTT 34 of n - Introducing HTTP

   In this installment we look at how the HTTP protocol works, this is the protocol that powers the world-wide-web. As always, you can get to Bart's fabulous tutorial shownotes at ttt.bartificer.net/...

   Oct 23, 2015
9. 39

   TTT 32 of n - SSH Tunneling

   In this installment we'll look at how SSH tunnels can be used to secure all kinds of network traffic, not just remote commands and file transfers. Most people won't need the power of SSH tunnels very often, if at all, but when you do need them, you probably REALLY need them, so it's important to...

   Oct 23, 2015
10. 38

    TTT 31 of n - SSH File Transfers

    SSH can do a lot more than just run commands, and in this installment we'll discover how to use SSH to securely transfer files from one computer to another. As always, you can get to Bart's fabulous tutorial shownotes at ttt.bartificer.net/...

    Oct 23, 2015
11. 37

    TTT 30 of n - SSHing More Securely

    By default SSH uses usernames and passwords to authenticate users, but in this installment we'll discover how to use SSH keys to make SSH both more secure and more convenient. As always, you can get to Bart's fabulous tutorial shownotes at ttt.bartificer.net/...

    Oct 23, 2015
12. 36

    TTT 29 of n - Intro to SSH

    In this installment we introduce the Secure Shell, or SSH. SSH can do many things, but first and foremost it lets us run command, or entire command shells on remote computers securely. As always, you can get to Bart's fabulous tutorial shownotes at ttt.bartificer.net/...

    Oct 23, 2015
13. 35

    TTT 28 of n - Network Troubleshooting

    In this installment we put everything we have learned so far about networking together, and describe a workflow for diagnosing home networking problems. As always, you can get to Bart's fabulous tutorial shownotes at ttt.bartificer.net/...

    Oct 23, 2015
14. 34

    TTT 27b of n - DNS

    This is the second part of a two-part installment looking at the Domain Name System, or DNS. DNS is a critical cog in the internet's wheel because it translates between human-friendly domain names, and computer-friendly IP addresses. As always, you can get to Bart's fabulous tutorial shownotes at...

    Oct 23, 2015
15. 33

    TTT 27a of n - DNS

    This is the first part of a two-part installment looking at the Domain Name System, or DNS. DNS is a critical cog in the internet's wheel because it translates between human-friendly domain names, and computer-friendly IP addresses. As always, you can get to Bart's fabulous tutorial shownotes at...

    Oct 23, 2015
16. 32

    TTT 26 of n - DHCP

    In this installment we learn about the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, or DHCP. This is the protocol that allows our computers to automatically discover their network settings, and without it portable computing devices simply wouldn't work. As always, you can get to Bart's fabulous tutorial...

    Oct 23, 2015
17. 31

    TTT 25b of n - IP Subnets

    This is the second part of a two-part installment exploring the second layer in the TCP/IP stack, the Internet Layer, and most importantly, the IP protocol. In particular we focus on the vitally important, but often confusing, concept of IP subnets. If you understand subnets, home networking...

    Oct 23, 2015
18. 30

    TTT 25a of n - IP Subnets

    This is the first part of a two-part installment exploring the second layer in the TCP/IP stack, the Internet Layer, and most importantly, the IP protocol. In particular we focus on the vitally important, but often confusing, concept of IP subnets. If you understand subnets, home networking…

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    Oct 23, 2015
19. 29

    TTT 24 of n - Ethernet & ARP

    In this installment we start at the bottom of the TCP/IP stack, looking at the so-called link-layer, and in particular at Ethernet and the ARP protocol. As always, you can get to Bart's fabulous tutorial shownotes at ttt.bartificer.net/...

    Oct 23, 2015
20. 28

    TTT 23b of n - Networking Intro

    This is the second part of a two-part installment describing the TCP/IP networking stack that allows our computers to talk to each other within our homes and offices, and to other computers and server around the world through the internet. As always, you can get to Bart's fabulous tutorial...

    Oct 23, 2015
21. 27

    TTT 23a of n - Networking Intro

    This is the first part of a two-part installment describing the TCP/IP networking stack that allows our computers to talk to each other within our homes and offices, and to other computers and server around the world through the internet. As always, you can get to Bart's fabulous tutorial…

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    Oct 23, 2015
22. 26

    TTT 22 of n - Tips & Tricks

    In this installment we take a bit of a breather, and look at some simple tips and tricks for making like on the command line that little bit easier. As always, you can get to Bart's fabulous tutorial shownotes at ttt.bartificer.net/...

    Oct 23, 2015
23. 25

    TTT 21 of n - More Searching

    In this installment we learn how to use the results of a file search as the input to another command. This allows us to do things like set the file permissions on every file that ends in .php. As always, you can get to Bart's fabulous tutorial shownotes at ttt.bartificer.net/...

    Oct 23, 2015
24. 24

    TTT 20 of n - File Searches

    In this installment we learn how to search for files based on all sorts of criteria, including file name, file size, modified date, and more. As always, you can get to Bart's fabulous tutorial shownotes at ttt.bartificer.net/...

    Oct 23, 2015
25. 23

    TTT 19 of n - Text Searches

    In this installment we look at how to use terminal commands and regular expressions to filter text, such as the output of terminal commands, and to search for files that contain a particular text pattern. As always, you can get to Bart's fabulous tutorial shownotes at ttt.bartificer.net/...

    Oct 23, 2015
26. 22

    TTT 18b of n - More REs

    This is the second of a two-part installment where we dive deeper into Regular Expressions. This two-part installment is laying vital foundations for the up-coming installments on searching. As always, you can get to Bart's fabulous tutorial shownotes at ttt.bartificer.net/...

    Oct 23, 2015
27. 21

    TTT 18a of n - More REs

    This is the first of a two-part installment where we dive deeper into Regular Expressions. This two-part installment is laying vital foundations for the up-coming installments on searching. As always, you can get to Bart's fabulous tutorial shownotes at ttt.bartificer.net/...

    Oct 23, 2015
28. 20

    TTT 17 of n - Regular Expressions

    In this installment we introduce the concept of 'regular expressions' - a means of accurately describing arbitrary patterns. Regular expressions allow us to express complex search pattens in a way the computer can understand. As always, you can get to Bart's fabulous tutorial shownotes at...

    Oct 23, 2015
29. 19

    TTT 16 of n - Crossing the Streams

    In this installment we continue our exploration of streams, looking at how we can use files as the source and destination for streams, and how we can combine two streams into one. As always, you can get to Bart's fabulous tutorial shownotes at ttt.bartificer.net/...

    Oct 23, 2015
30. 18

    TTT 15 of n - Plumbing

    In this installment we introduce the concept of data streams, looking at the three system streams STDIN, STDOUT $ STDERR, and then look at how we can use the pipe operator connect the output of one command to the input of another. As always, you can get to Bart's fabulous tutorial shownotes at...

    Oct 22, 2015
31. 17

    TTT 14 of n - Aliases & Prompts

    In this installment we wrap up our look at the environment by describing command line aliases, and looking at how we can customize the prompt we see when working at the command line. As always, you can get to Bart's fabulous tutorial shownotes at ttt.bartificer.net/...

    Oct 22, 2015
32. 16

    TTT 13 of n - PATH

    In this installment we continue to explore the environment, focusing on the very important environment variable PATH. As always, you can get to Bart's fabulous tutorial shownotes at ttt.bartificer.net/...

    Oct 22, 2015
33. 15

    TTT 12 of n - The Environment

    In this installment we introduce the rather nebulous concept of the Unix/Linux environment, and we look at environment variables and shell variables. As always, you can get to Bart's fabulous tutorial shownotes at ttt.bartificer.net/...

    Oct 22, 2015
34. 14

    TTT 11 of n - Text Files

    In this installment we look at how to read and edit text files from the command line. As always, you can get to Bart's fabulous tutorial shownotes at ttt.bartificer.net/...

    Oct 22, 2015
35. 13

    TTT 10 of n - man

    Unix, Linux and OS X have a built-in manual describing how the various terminal commands work. In this installment we look at how to access this manual, and explain the special language used within. As always, you can get to Bart's fabulous tutorial shownotes at ttt.bartificer.net/...

    Oct 22, 2015
36. 12

    TTT 9 of n - Controlling Processes

    In this installment we learn how to control processes - creating them, and ending them. As always, you can get to Bart's fabulous tutorial shownotes at ttt.bartificer.net/...

    Oct 22, 2015
37. 11

    TTT 8 of n - Processes

    In this installment we explore the concept of Linux/Unix processes, and we introdue the ps command for viewing the running processes. As always, you can get to Bart's fabulous tutorial shownotes at ttt.bartificer.net/...

    Oct 22, 2015
38. 10

    TTT 7 of n - Managing Files

    In this installment we look at file management from the commandline - creating, copying, moving, renaming, and deleting files and folders. As always, you can get to Bart's fabulous tutorial shownotes at ttt.bartificer.net/...

    Oct 22, 2015
39. 9

    TTT 6 of n - More File Permissions

    In this installment we’ll start by biting the bullet and dive into how to alter standard Unix File permissions. This could well turn out to be the most difficult segment in this entire series, regardless of how big n gets, but it is very important, so if you have trouble with it, please don’t…

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    Oct 15, 2015
40. 8

    TTT 5 of n - File Permissions

    We take a look at how standard Unix File Permissions work, and look at how to understand the permissions on existing files and folders, but not at how to change them. We also cover the fact that the standard unix file permissions are now only a sub-set of the file permissions on OS X and Linux…

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    Oct 15, 2015
41. 7

    TTT 4 of n - Navigation

    In this installment we’ll look at how to navigate around the Unix/Linux/OS X filesystem in a Bash command shell. As always, you can get to Bart's fabulous tutorial shownotes at ttt.bartificer.net/...

    Oct 15, 2015
42. 6

    TTT 3 of n - File Systems

    We discuss the concept of a file system in detail. We described how filesystems contain folders which contain files or folders, and we described the different ways in which Windows and Linux/Unix/OS X combine all the filesystems on our computers into a single name-space, within which every file…

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    Oct 15, 2015
43. 5

    TTT 2 of n - Commands

    In this installment, we look at OS X’s Terminal.app, the anatomy of the Bash command prompt, and the anatomy of a Unix/Linux command. As always, you can get to Bart's fabulous tutorial shownotes at ttt.bartificer.net/...

    Oct 15, 2015
44. 4

    TTT 1 of n - Command Shells

    In this first segment we'll lay a very basic foundation. We plan to take things very slowly with this series, so Bart gives us a sort of 40,000ft view of command shells – some context, some history, a very general description of what command shells do, and a little bit on why they are still very...

    Oct 15, 2015
45. 3

    TTT 0 OF n - Introducing TTT

    Taming the Terminal is a collaboration between Bart Busschots and Allison Sheridan. The tutorials were written by Bart, and hosted on this site, and there are matching conversations with Allison Sheridan on the NosillaCast Podcast. In Taming the Terminal, Bart Busschots guides Allison Sheridan...

    Oct 13, 2015