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defaults (software)
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<h2 id="usage">Usage</h2> <p>Common uses of defaults: </p> $ defaults read DOMAIN # gets all $ defaults read DOMAIN PROPERTY_NAME # gets $ defaults write DOMAIN PROPERTY_NAME VALUE # sets $ defaults delete DOMAIN PROPERTY_NAME # resets a property $ defaults delete DOMAIN # resets preferences <p>DOMAIN should be replaced by the plist file name sans extension ('.plist'). plist files are named with <a href="/facts/Reverse_domain_name_notation/I8eu8hAY">reverse domain name notation</a>. For example: </p> $ defaults read com.apple.iTunes # prints all iTunes preference values <p>plist files store keys and values. The PROPERTY_NAME key is the name of the property to modify. For example, to remove the search field from <a href="/facts/Safari_(web_browser)/9R8v7tNl">Safari</a>'s <a href="/facts/Address_bar/t9XQTLcw">address bar</a>: </p> $ defaults write com.apple.Safari AddressBarIncludesGoogle 0 $ # or $ defaults write com.apple.Safari AddressBarIncludesGoogle -bool NO # case-sensitive! <p>Using "1", "YES", or "TRUE" instead restores this to the default of including search. </p><p>Preferences can at times corrupt applications. To reset Address Book's preferences, either the file ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.AddressBook.plist must be removed or the following command issued: </p> $ defaults delete com.apple.AddressBook <h3>Compound values</h3> <p><i>defaults</i> prints values in the OpenStep format. It allows the VALUE to be arrays and dicts, as long as they conform to old-style plist syntax.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="settings">Settings</h2> <p>Some example settings configurable with defaults under macOS: </p> Globally-available defaults (works in NSGlobalDomain or application settings)<table><tbody><tr><th>Key</th><th>OSX Version</th><th>Legal Values</th><th>Default Value</th></tr><tr><td>AppleAquaColorVariant</td><td>10.8</td><td>1, 6</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>AppleHighlightColor</td><td>10.8</td><td>RGB, 3 floats range 0-1.0</td><td>"0.780400 0.815700 0.858800"</td></tr><tr><td>AppleShowScrollBars<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a></td><td>10.8</td><td>Automatic, WhenScrolling, Always</td><td>Automatic</td></tr><tr><td>NSQuitAlwaysKeepsWindows<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a></td><td>10.8</td><td>bool</td><td>false</td></tr><tr><td>NSAutomaticWindowAnimationsEnabled<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a></td><td>10.8</td><td>bool</td><td>true</td></tr><tr><td>NSNavPanelExpandedStateForSaveMode<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a></td><td>10.8</td><td>bool</td><td>false</td></tr><tr><td>NSWindowResizeTime<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a></td><td>10.8</td><td>float:time in seconds</td><td>.2</td></tr><tr><td>CGFontDefaultAllowsFontSmoothing<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15"><sup>15</sup></a></td><td>10.14?</td><td>boolean</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>SS64 documents a set of other keys that can be changed for each software (not the global domain) in macOS.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16"><sup>16</sup></a> Other sites also document settings to be changed using <i>defaults</i>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17"><sup>17</sup></a> Apple does not publish a complete list of these "secret knobs", but their support site does occasionally provide <i>defaults</i> commands for user to change a certain setting, such as the creation of <a href="/facts/.DS_Store/a32JWlKl">.DS_Store</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:18" href="#fn:18"><sup>18</sup></a> </p><p>GNUstep documents its defaults more clearly, so that there is no such thing as a "hidden settings" community like there is for macOS.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:19" href="#fn:19"><sup>19</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="https://developer.apple.com/documentation/foundation/nsuserdefaults?language=objc">NSUserDefaults documentation</a> Apple Inc</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>defaults(1) – Linux General Commands Manual <a href="https://www.mankier.com/1/defaults" target="_blank">https://www.mankier.com/1/defaults</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>defaults(1) – Darwin and macOS General Commands Manual <a href="https://keith.github.io/xcode-man-pages/defaults.1.html" target="_blank">https://keith.github.io/xcode-man-pages/defaults.1.html</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>defaults(1) – Darwin and macOS General Commands Manual <a href="https://keith.github.io/xcode-man-pages/defaults.1.html" target="_blank">https://keith.github.io/xcode-man-pages/defaults.1.html</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>"User Defaults Summary for GNUstep Libraries". www.gnustep.org. <a href="http://www.gnustep.org/resources/documentation/User/Gui/DefaultsSummary.html" target="_blank">http://www.gnustep.org/resources/documentation/User/Gui/DefaultsSummary.html</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>defaults(1) – Darwin and macOS General Commands Manual <a href="https://keith.github.io/xcode-man-pages/defaults.1.html" target="_blank">https://keith.github.io/xcode-man-pages/defaults.1.html</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>defaults(1) – Linux General Commands Manual <a href="https://www.mankier.com/1/defaults" target="_blank">https://www.mankier.com/1/defaults</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>defaults(1) – Darwin and macOS General Commands Manual <a href="https://keith.github.io/xcode-man-pages/defaults.1.html" target="_blank">https://keith.github.io/xcode-man-pages/defaults.1.html</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>"Unofficial macOS defaults man page". ss64.com. <a href="https://ss64.com/osx/defaults.html" target="_blank">https://ss64.com/osx/defaults.html</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>"macos - modifying a Plist from command line on Mac using Defaults". Stack Overflow. <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/13740337/modifying-a-plist-from-command-line-on-mac-using-defaults" target="_blank">https://stackoverflow.com/questions/13740337/modifying-a-plist-from-command-line-on-mac-using-defaults</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>grg (26 August 2013). "macos - Enabling Scroll Bars In Mountain Lion?". Ask Different. <a href="https://apple.stackexchange.com/a/100062/153976" target="_blank">https://apple.stackexchange.com/a/100062/153976</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>"Disable 'Resume' system-wide". defaults-write.com. 26 September 2012. <a href="https://www.defaults-write.com/disable-resume-system-wide/" target="_blank">https://www.defaults-write.com/disable-resume-system-wide/</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>"10 terminal commands to speed up macOS High Sierra on your Mac". defaults-write.com. 11 November 2017. <a href="https://www.defaults-write.com/speed-up-macos-high-sierra/" target="_blank">https://www.defaults-write.com/speed-up-macos-high-sierra/</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>Bynens, Mathias. "mathiasbynens/dotfiles: .macos". GitHub. Retrieved 1 March 2020. <a href="https://github.com/mathiasbynens/dotfiles/blob/master/.macos" target="_blank">https://github.com/mathiasbynens/dotfiles/blob/master/.macos</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>"10 terminal commands to speed up macOS High Sierra on your Mac". defaults-write.com. 11 November 2017. <a href="https://www.defaults-write.com/speed-up-macos-high-sierra/" target="_blank">https://www.defaults-write.com/speed-up-macos-high-sierra/</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:15"><p>"Issue 858861: No subpixel antialiasing under macOS Mojave". bugs.chromium.org. <a href="https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=858861" target="_blank">https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=858861</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:16"><p>"System preference settings for macOS - macOS - SS64.com". ss64.com. <a href="https://ss64.com/osx/syntax-defaults.html" target="_blank">https://ss64.com/osx/syntax-defaults.html</a> <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:17"><p>"Top 11 Terminal Command Tricks for Mac That You Should Know". Guiding Tech. 19 August 2019. <a href="https://www.guidingtech.com/top-terminal-command-tricks-mac-macos/" target="_blank">https://www.guidingtech.com/top-terminal-command-tricks-mac-macos/</a> <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:18"><p>"Adjust SMB browsing behavior in macOS High Sierra 10.13 and later". Apple Support. Retrieved 5 January 2020. (type into a search engine to find more: site:support.apple.com "defaults write") <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208209" target="_blank">https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208209</a> <a href="#fnref:18" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:19"><p>"User Defaults Summary for GNUstep Libraries". www.gnustep.org. <a href="http://www.gnustep.org/resources/documentation/User/Gui/DefaultsSummary.html" target="_blank">http://www.gnustep.org/resources/documentation/User/Gui/DefaultsSummary.html</a> <a href="#fnref:19" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>