iPhone Terminal Unix Basics
Owners of Apple's smartphone, the iPhone, usually navigate the device by pressing pre-configured icons that launch files or programs. A user can also download a terminal emulator, a program that gives the user a command-line prompt with which to interact with the iPhone's system. If you are unfamiliar with Unix systems, you need to learn a few basic concepts before you can use an iPhone terminal.
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Jailbreaking
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By default, an iPhone user cannot use a terminal simulator on the device. Apple restricts how much of its software users can access. This allows Apple's development teams to maintain certain security measures and ensure the stability of the underlying operating system. If you want to use a terminal emulator on your device, you will have to bypass Apple's restrictive measures in a process known as "jailbreaking." This is a violation of Apple's user agreement, and while not illegal it does void the device's warranty.
Unix File Structure
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The iOS operating system used by the iPhone is based on the same underlying Unix system as Apple's desktop operating system. Whereas most computer users are accustomed to clicking through a series of folders to navigate, these folders are only a visual representation of a directory structure. This structure begins with the root directory, within which every other directory is nested. The iPhone's directory structure is similar to that of a standard Unix system, except that all its applications are stored in the Applications folder and no user file exists. This is because the iPhone is designed for a single user, not the multiple users that most Unix systems accommodate.
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Root Password
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Part of the security of any Unix system comes from the fact that many sensitive functions and files can be accessed only by what is called the "root" or "super" user. This is not a user in the usual sense of having personal files and applications. The root account is used only for performing system maintenance. Owners of iPhones do not normally have access to the root account, but after the device is jailbroken the owner can use an iPhone terminal emulator to gain this access. Users do this by typing "su" (without quotes) into the terminal emulator, then typing in a password of their choice.
Commands
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Users have to know a number of commands in order to use a terminal emulator. Among the basic commands are "cd directory"—where "directory" is the path to a particular directory. This changes the current directory to the directory specified after the "cd" part of the command. The command "ls" lists the contents of the terminal's current directory. The user can execute a particular program by changing to the directory in which the program is located, and typing the exact name of the program into the terminal.
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