Working with output

Each terminal retains its own output while you switch views. Use selection, links, and search to inspect it without changing the running command.

Select and copy #

Drag across terminal text to select it, then use Cmd+C or Edit → Copy. Paste with Cmd+V or the Edit menu. Ctrl+C is a shell interrupt, so use the macOS copy shortcut when you want text without stopping work.

Copying reads the terminal selection, including earlier lines still in scrollback. A program that owns the terminal screen can handle mouse input itself, so its selection behavior may differ from an ordinary shell prompt. Review pasted commands before submitting them.

Open links #

Hold Cmd and click a visible http:// or https:// link to open it in the system browser. Keep Cmd held throughout the click. The link cue appears while the modifier is held; an ordinary click or a drag remains a selection gesture.

Only explicit web URLs are opened. Printed filesystem paths are not automatically editor links. For a harmless check, print https://example.com at the prompt and Cmd-click the result.

Find text #

Focus the terminal and press Cmd+F. Type a term in Find; matching text is highlighted and the counter shows the current match. Enter or the next arrow advances, and Shift+Enter or the previous arrow moves backward. Escape closes search and returns to the terminal.

Search covers output still held in that terminal's buffer. It is separate from Cmd+P, which searches terminal profiles, and Cmd+R, which searches saved commands. Increase scrollback for future output if old lines are being discarded.

Follow live output #

At the bottom, the view follows arriving output. Scroll upward to read older lines without being pulled back on every update. Use the scroll-to-bottom control or Cmd+Down Arrow with the terminal focused to return to the live bottom and resume following.

Switching tabs does not stop background output. A status activity ring indicates arriving bytes, independently of whether you are looking at the terminal. If you need an enduring log, write one from your command; the terminal's saved output is a bounded cache.