OJBs Web Site: Tip

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Show Specs from Command Line

It can be useful to retrieve information about a Mac from the command line.
For example, if you have booted into recovery mode or to an installer, or you have done a remote SSH session to another computer.

This command shows piles of stuff, but is slow: system_profiler

Shows lots of system paramaters, fast: sysctl -a

Show running OS version: sw_vers

Show OS version on disk: cat /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/System/Library/CoreServices/SystemVersion.plist.
Note: Assumes disk is called "Macintosh HD".

Show free space on volumes: df -H

Show model number only: system_profiler SPHardwareDataType | grep 'Model Identifier'