Excellent pages that list key commands are mirrored below: Mac OS X Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard Shortcuts under Mac OS X

Note: Key names are separated by a plus (+). You do not type the plus as part of the key combination. A key combination works when the keys connected by the plus(s) are pressed at the same time. Since it is unlikely that you will press the keys exactly simultaneously, be sure to press the modifier keys, such as Control and Command, first. Otherwise, you may only see the eject function.

Action	Keyboard Shortcut	Location
Starting Your Computer
Start up from a CD	Hold down the C key during boot
Select a startup disk (on some computers)	Hold down the Option key during boot
Prevent login items from opening and close any open Finder windows	If you aren't to the login screen yet, hold down the Shift key when you see the startup progress dialog If you do see the login screen, hold down the Shift key after you log in
Start up only the essential system software (Try this if you can't start up your computer after installing new software.) This is Safe Mode	Hold down the Shift key when you start up
Reset Parameter RAM	Hold down the Command + Option + P + R keys
Logout, Restart, Shutdown
Logout	Command + Shift-Q	Apple Menu
The dialog box "Are you sure you want to shut down?" appears with options to Restart, Sleep, Cancel or Shut Down.	Control + Eject Key	Apple Menu
Restart the computer (quits all apps and lets you save changes to open docs)	Control + Command + Eject Key
Force the computer to restart	Command + Control + Power Key
Shuts the computer down (Quits all apps and lets you save changes to open docs)	Control + Option + Command + Eject Key	Apple Menu
Force some computers to shut down or restart	Command + Option + Shift + Power Key
Puts the computer to sleep	Option + Command + Eject Key	Apple Menu
Turn Off Computer	Power Key (Hold for 5-6 Seconds)
Finder
New Finder Window	Command + N	Go Menu
New Folder	Command + Shift + N	Go Menu
Empty Trash	Command + Shift-Delete	Finder Menu
Hide Finder	Command + H	Finder Menu
Go to Folder	Command + Tilde	Go Menu
Connect to Server (Chooser in OS 9)	Command + K	Go Menu
Go to Computer (Shows all Hard Drives, Mounted Volumes, CDs, etc)	Command + Option + C	Go Menu
Go to Home Directory	Command + Option + H	Go Menu
Go to your iDisk	Command + Option + I	Go Menu
Go to your Favorites Directory	Command + Option + F	Go Menu
Go to Applications Directory	Command + Option + A	Go Menu
Windows
Minimize Window	Command + M
Close all open windows	Option + click close button ()
Minimize all open windows	Option + click minimize button ()
Enlarge window to fill the screen	Option + click zoom button ()
Hide the previous program after clicking on the window or icon of another program	Option + click a window Option + click Dock icon
Move a window without making it active	Command + drag the window
Navigate to a folder that is above the current folder in the folder heirarchy	Command + press window title in Finder Window
Switch to the previously active application	Press Command and Tab
Switch to an open application	Hold down the Command key and press Tab until the application is selected To reverse the order, hold down the Command and Shift keys Press H to hide the active application Press Q to quit the selected application
Dock
Change the size of the Dock	Drag the dividing line
See the contextual menu for the Dock	Click and hold the Dock background (immediate left or right of dividing line in the Dock) Control + click the Dock background Right-click the Dock background
See open windows in an application	Click and hold the application's icon Control + Click on the application's icon Right-click on the application's icon
Add an open application to the Dock	Click and hold on the application's icon and choose Keep In Dock Control + Click the application's icon and choose Keep In Dock
Add an unopen application to the Dock	Drag the application's icon to the Dock
See an item in the Finder	Command + Click the application's icon Click and hold the application's icon and choose Show In Finder Control + Click the application's icon and choose Show In Finder
Hide the previous program after clicking on the window or icon of another program	Option + click a window Option + click Dock icon
Quit an open application	Click and hold the application's icon and choose Quit Control + Click the application's icon and choose Quit Right-click the application's icon and choose Quit
Force quit an application	Hold down the Option key, click and hold the application's icon, then choose Force Quit Hold down the Option key, Control + Click the application's icon, then choose Force Quit Hold down the Option key, Right-click the application's icon and choose Force Quit
Force an application to open when you drag a document onto it	Command + Option
Dialog Boxes
Select the next area of the dialog	Tab
Click the default button	Return or Enter
Close the dialog	Escape or Command + period
Select folders above or below the current item (Save and Open dialogs	Up Arrow and Down Arrow
Move up file hierarchy	Page up
Move down file hierarchy	Page down
Miscellaneous
Open System Preferences	Option + Mute Key	Apple Menu
Toggle Dock Hiding On/Off	Command + Option + D	Apple Menu
Mac Help	Command + Shift + / (this is the same as Command + ?)
Application/System Freezes
Stop a Process	Command + .
Force Quit an Application	Command + Option + Escape

Keyboard Control

The inside cover of Mac OS X Power Tools contains a list of selected keyboard shorcuts in OS X. Below is a more complete list, divided into sections based on where they are applicable. For mouse/keyboard actions, check out the "Modified Mousing" link to the left. (Letter keys are printed here in CAPS for clarity -- you do not need to press the shift key unless explicitly instructed.) (NOTE: This page is in the process of being updated for full Panther compatibility.)

Startup and Login (see Chapter 3)

command+option+O+F	Invoke Open Firmware
command+option+P+R	Reset PRAM
T	Startup in FireWire Target Disk Mode
option	Invoke Startup Manager
command+S	Invoke single-user mode
command+V	Invoke verbose mode
C	Boot from CD/DVD
X	Boot into OS X (if you previously booted from OS 9 on the same volume)
shift (immediately at startup)	Safe boot
shift (after boot screen, until login screen)	Override auto-login
shift (after login screen)	Safe login
option+escape, then click on a user	Present name/password login dialog instead of list of users

System-wide (various chapters)

option+volume up/down/mute	Open Sound preferences
option+brightness up/down	Open Display preferences
command+space	Cycle through active keyboard layouts/scripts
F12	Eject CD/DVD drive (hold down for two seconds)
return or enter	Select default button in dialog (OK, Open, Save, etc.)
escape or command+.	Exit/cancel dialog
command+shift+Q	Log out
command+option+shift+Q	Log out without confirmation dialog
power button (laptops) or control+eject (desktops)	Bring up Restart/Sleep/Shut Down dialog
command+option+eject (desktops)	Sleep computer immediately
command+option+escape	Bring up Force Quit window
command+control+eject (desktops)	Restart immediately (chance to save changes in open documents)
command+option+control+eject (desktops) or command+option+control+power (laptops)	Shutdown immediately (chance to save changes in open documents)
command+control+power button	Force restart (no chance to save changes in open documents)
hold power button	Force shutdown (no chance to save changes in open documents)

Universal Access (must be enabled in Universal Access preferences) (see Chapter 3)

command+option+8	Toggle zoom (screen magnification) on/off
command+option+=	Zoom in
command+option+-	Zoom out
command+option+control+8	Toggle display inversion (white-on-black) on/off
shift (five times)	Toggle Sticky Keys on/off
option (five times)	Toggle Mouse Keys on/off

Full Keyboard Access (see Chapter 3)

control+F1	Toggle Full Keyboard Access on/off
control+F2 (or control+M)	Focus keyboard control on menu bar
control+F3 (or control+D)	Focus keyboard control on Dock
control+F4 (or control+W)	Focus keyboard control on active Window or cycle to next window
control+F5 (or control+T)	Focus keyboard control on toolbar
control+F6 (or control+U)	Focus keyboard control on palette (utility window)
control+F7	In windows and dialogs, switch focus to text boxes/lists/controls
arrow keys	Navigate active item
return, enter, or spacebar	Select highlighted item
return or enter	Select default dialog control (OK, Yes, No, Save, Open, etc.)
escape	Cancel action, menu, or dialog

Finder: General (see Chapter 5)

command+J	Open View Options
command+shift+delete	Empty Trash (with confirmation dialog)
command+option+shift+delete	Empty Trash (without confirmation dialog)
command+F	Bring up Find dialog
command+K	Bring up Connect to Server dialog

Finder: Files and Folders (see Chapter 5)

command+shift+N	New Folder in active Finder window (including the Desktop)
arrow keys	Navigate items in active Finder window
tab/shift+tab	Select next/previous file or folder (alphabetically)
type name of file/folder	Select that file/folder
return	Edit file/folder name
command+O	Open selected item(s)
command+I	Open Get Info window for selected item(s)
command+option+I	Open File Inspector window
command+D	Duplicate selected item(s)
command+L	Create alias(es) for selected item(s)
command+R (for aliases)	Show target of selected alias ("reveal original")
command+T	Add selected item(s) to Favorites (creates alias in Favorites folder)
command+delete	Move selected item(s) to Trash
command+down arrow	Open item(s); add option key to close current folder
command+up arrow	Switch to enclosing folder (if no windows are open, opens new window to Home); add option key to close current folder
option+right arrow/left arrow (folders in list view)	Toggle disclosure triangle for selected folder(s) open/closed
command+option+right arrow/left arrow (folders in list view)	Toggle disclosure triangle for all folder(s) open/closed

Finder: Windows (see Chapter 5; Application shortcuts, listed below, also apply to the Finder)

command+N	New Finder window
command+1/2/3	View active window as Icons/List/Columns
control+tab or control+I (in list view)	Change column sorting; cycles columns left to right (add shift key to cycle right to left)
command+B	Show/hide window toolbar for active window
command+shift+C/H/I/A/F	Go to Computer / Home / iDisk / Applications / Favorites in active window (a new window will be opened if necessary)
command+shift+G	Bring up "Go to Folder" dialog in active window (a new window will be opened if necessary)
command+[ or command+]	Go back or forward in window view history
command+W	Close active Finder window
command+option+W	Close all Finder windows

Finder: Volumes/Media (see Chapter 5)

command+E

Eject volume/disc

Open/Save Dialog Shortcuts (see Chapter 5)

tab	Switch between browser and text fields
arrow keys, page up/down	Navigate in browser
command+N	Create new folder in the current directory
command+D	Change directory to Desktop
command+shift+A	Change directory to /Applications
command+shift+C	Change directory to Computer view (list of volumes)
command+shift+F	Change directory to Favorites folder
command+shift+H	Change directory to Home folder
command+shift+I	Change directory to iDisk (mounts iDisk if necessary)

Dock (see Chapter 6)

command+option+D	Toggle Dock auto-hide on/off
command+tab	Cycle through active applications; each tab press while holding command changes the application once. Add the shift key to cycle backwards. As long as you keep the command key pressed, you can also quit or hide applications as you cycle through them.

Applications, including the Finder (see Chapters 6 and 7)

command+H	Hide current application
command+option+H	Hide all other applications
command+M	Minimize active window to the Dock
command+option+M	Minimize all windows in active application to the Dock
command+`	Cycle through current application's windows (add the shift to cycle backwards)
command+,	Open application preferences dialog (not universal yet, but becoming more common)

Screenshot (see Chapter 7)

(By default, screenshots are saved to the Desktop in PDF format; add the control key to any of the combinations below to copy the screenshot to the clipboard instead; you can then paste it into any graphics application -- such as OS X's Preview -- and save it in any format you prefer.)

command+shift+3	Full screenshot
command+shift+4	Crosshair to allow selection of screenshot area
command+shift+4, then spacebar	Camera to capture specific screen object

Text-related shortcuts in Cocoa applications (see Chapter 7)

Type

bindkey <RETURN>

in Terminal for complete list (in the list, ^ means the control key).