Cybersecurity Roadmap

Operating systems

macOS Basics

Overview

macOS is Apple's operating system for Mac computers, based on Unix — it shares many terminal commands and concepts with Linux.

Key concepts

  • Finder, Dock, System Settings, Activity Monitor
  • Terminal (Unix-based commands)
  • Disk Utility, Time Machine

How it works

Overview

macOS is Apple's operating system for Mac computers. It's based on Unix, so it shares many terminal commands and concepts with Linux.

Finder

The file-management application for macOS — similar to Windows File Explorer.

Dock

The application bar usually at the bottom of the screen, showing open apps, commonly used apps, and the Trash.

System Settings

Manages Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, users, display settings, privacy, storage, sound, and software updates.

Activity Monitor

Shows CPU, memory, storage, energy, and network use — similar to Task Manager in Windows.

Terminal

The macOS command-line application. Many commands (ls, cd, mkdir, cp, mv) work similarly to Linux.

Disk Utility

Manages storage drives — format a drive, partition storage, create volumes, check disk health, and repair some disk errors.

Time Machine

The built-in macOS backup tool. Can automatically back up a Mac to an external drive or network location.