Reset Mac OS X Terminal to default
I accidentally renamed my "Basic" terminal profile under Terminal -> Preferences -> Settings. I renamed it back but this got me wondering if there was a way to reset all terminal settings to defaults. So for example if I renamed "Basic" to "Foo" is there a command or way to reset it back to "Basic" without having to select it and rename?
Is it just a matter of deleting the .plist file in ~/Library?
Solution 1:
Correct. Just quit Terminal.app, and make a backup of the following file, then delete it.
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Terminal.plist
Terminal will create a new, default one once you restart it. Your preferences are stored in that preference list file – a normal Dictionary.
Solution 2:
Yes, there’s a command to restore all the built-in settings profiles (each item in the Settings list is called a “settings profile” or “profile”):
In the Preferences window, in the Settings panel:
- Click the action (gear) button at the bottom of the list.
- Choose Restore Defaults.
This will reset modified profiles and recreate any that have been deleted or renamed. Custom profiles are left as-is. (In your specific case this means that your renamed “Basic” will remain and a new “Basic” will be created.)
