Glossary
Terms from the guides in plain words, from swap and thermal pressure to time blocking. Each one links to the guides that cover it in depth.
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#
- 20-20-20 rule #
- Every twenty minutes, look at something twenty feet (about six meters) away for twenty seconds. The American Academy of Ophthalmology, for one, recommends it as a simple break for the eyes from the screen.
- Learn more: What to Do on a Pomodoro Break
- See also: Short break, Micro-break
A
- “A 10” (what a 10 looks like) #
- One sentence on what a 10 looks like in an area for you personally, in the present tense and observable: “I sleep 7+ hours five nights out of seven.” It turns a score into “how far am I from what I wrote” and makes wheels from different months comparable.
- Learn more: Wheel of Life Categories: 8 Life Areas and How to Pick Yours · From Wheel of Life to Goals: Plans, Habits and Check-Ins
- See also: Life areas, Quarterly goal
- Activity Monitor (the Mac's task manager) #
- The built-in macOS app (Applications → Utilities) that shows how much CPU, memory, energy, disk and network each process uses. It can also quit a frozen app. It is the tool for digging in once the Mac is already slow.
- Learn more: How to Check CPU Usage on a Mac: Activity Monitor Guide · Why Is My Mac So Slow? A Step-by-Step Diagnosis · Stats vs iStat Menus vs Activity Monitor: Compared
- See also: CPU usage, Memory Pressure, Energy Impact, Process
- App bundle (package, .app) #
- A Mac app is a package folder, not a single file; Finder shows it as one icon and counts its full size (⌘I → Size). Moving it to the Trash removes only the bundle; the app’s data stays in
~/Library. - Learn more: How Much Space an App Takes on a Mac and How to Remove It
- See also: User Library, Storage
- Apple silicon (M-series chips) #
- Apple’s own chips used in Macs instead of Intel processors. Their memory sits in the same package as the chip and is shared by CPU and GPU; some familiar Intel-era procedures, such as an SMC reset, aren’t needed.
- Learn more: Is 8 GB of RAM Enough for a Mac, or Do You Need 16? · Mac Temperature: Where to Check It and When to Worry
- See also: Unified memory, SMC, Thermal throttling
- Attention residue #
- Sophie Leroy’s concept (2009): attention is slow to let go of an unfinished task, and the next task suffers. Hence the advice not to open email a minute before a break ends: the message easily becomes that unfinished task.
- Learn more: What to Do on a Pomodoro Break
- See also: Micro-break, Short break
B
- Battery Health (Maximum Capacity) #
- The line in System Settings → Battery: Normal or Service Recommended. The ⓘ button next to it shows Maximum Capacity, how much the battery holds now compared with when it was new.
- Learn more: MacBook Battery Drain: What Uses the Charge and Where to Look
- See also: Charge cycle, Optimized Battery Charging
- BRAC (basic rest-activity cycle, “90 minutes”) #
- Physiologist Nathaniel Kleitman’s 1960s hypothesis that the roughly 90-minute sleep cycle continues during the day as waves of alertness and drowsiness. The cycle is established for sleep, disputed for the day, and no studies show that 90-minute work blocks are more productive.
- Learn more: The 52/17 Rule and 90-Minute Cycles: Longer Pomodoros
- See also: Long rhythm
C
- Cache (Cached Files) #
- Saved data that may be needed again, kept so it does not have to be fetched twice. In memory macOS keeps Cached Files and hands them to other apps on demand; apps keep their own cache on disk in
~/Library/Caches. “Cleaning” the cache is pointless: it is recreated right away. - Learn more: Memory Pressure on a Mac: What Yellow and Red Mean · How Much Space an App Takes on a Mac and How to Remove It · How Much Has Been Written to a Mac SSD: Checking Wear
- See also: Memory Used, User Library
- caffeinate #
- A built-in Terminal command that keeps the Mac awake while it runs:
caffeinate -dalso keeps the screen on,caffeinate -i <command>lasts while the command runs,caffeinate -t 3600for an hour. It doesn’t override a closed lid. - Learn more: How to Keep Your Mac Awake: Settings, caffeinate, the Lid
- See also: Sleep, Preventing Sleep
- Charge cycle (battery cycle count) #
- Using 100% of the battery’s capacity, not necessarily in one go: 75% today and 25% tomorrow is one cycle. Per Apple, modern MacBooks are rated for 1,000 cycles and retain up to 80% of their original capacity at that point. The count is in System Information under Power.
- Learn more: MacBook Battery Drain: What Uses the Charge and Where to Look
- See also: Battery Health, Optimized Battery Charging
- CPU percentage (% CPU) #
- The Activity Monitor column with the share of the processor a process is using. Percentages are counted per core and added up, so on a multi-core Mac one process can show 180% or 350%.
- Learn more: How to Check CPU Usage on a Mac: Activity Monitor Guide · Why Is My Mac So Slow? A Step-by-Step Diagnosis
- See also: CPU usage, Process
- CPU usage (CPU load, processor load) #
- How much of the time the processor (CPU) is busy. On the CPU tab of Activity Monitor it is System (macOS) plus User (your apps); the rest is Idle.
- Learn more: How to Check CPU Usage on a Mac: Activity Monitor Guide · Why Is My Mac So Slow? A Step-by-Step Diagnosis · Menu Bar System Monitor for Mac: Which One to Choose
- See also: CPU percentage, Activity Monitor, top, Thermal throttling
E
- Energy Impact (12 hr Power) #
- A column on the Energy tab of Activity Monitor: a relative measure of how much energy an app uses right now; lower is better. Next to it, 12 hr Power is the same averaged, which catches an app that drained the battery in the morning and then went quiet.
- Learn more: MacBook Battery Drain: What Uses the Charge and Where to Look · How to Check CPU Usage on a Mac: Activity Monitor Guide
- See also: Activity Monitor, Preventing Sleep, Energy Mode
- Energy Mode (Low Power Mode) #
- A Battery setting: Low Power, Automatic and, on supported models, High Power, chosen separately for battery and power adapter. Low Power reduces energy use to make the battery last longer.
- Learn more: MacBook Battery Drain: What Uses the Charge and Where to Look
- See also: Optimized Battery Charging, Energy Impact
F
- Flowtime #
- A separate technique described by Zoë Read-Bivens: the timer counts up, you work until you tire or get distracted, and rest longer the longer you worked. The cue to stop is how you feel, not a bell; don’t mix it with pomodoros.
- Learn more: The 52/17 Rule and 90-Minute Cycles: Longer Pomodoros
- See also: Long rhythm, Pomodoro Technique
- Focus (Do Not Disturb, Focus mode) #
- macOS modes (Do Not Disturb, Work, Sleep and your own) that decide which notifications reach you: allowed people and apps get through, the rest waits in Notification Center. Set up in System Settings → Focus; turned on by hand or on a schedule by time, location or app.
- Learn more: How to Set Up Focus on a Mac for Work · Pomodoro and Focus on macOS: Silence Notifications
- See also: Shortcuts, Internal and external interruptions, Pomodoro
- Force Quit (⌥⌘Esc) #
- Closing an app immediately without waiting for it; unsaved work is lost. The window opens with ⌥⌘Esc, the closest thing to Ctrl+Alt+Del. The gentle option, Quit, is like pressing ⌘Q in the app.
- Learn more: How to Check CPU Usage on a Mac: Activity Monitor Guide
- See also: Process, Activity Monitor
G
- GPU (graphics processor, graphics) #
- The part of the chip that draws the picture: games, video export, animations. On Macs with Apple silicon the GPU takes memory from the same shared pool as the CPU, and it can heat the Mac on its own.
- Learn more: Mac Temperature: Where to Check It and When to Worry · Menu Bar System Monitor for Mac: Which One to Choose
- See also: CPU usage, Unified memory
H
- Habit (“21 days”) #
- An action that, over time, happens on its own in the same context. The “21 days” figure isn’t supported by research: in Phillippa Lally and colleagues’ 2010 study, reaching automaticity took 18 to 254 days, typically about 66, and a single missed day made little difference.
- Learn more: From Wheel of Life to Goals: Plans, Habits and Check-Ins
- See also: Implementation intentions, Quarterly goal
I
- Implementation intentions (if-then plan) #
- A plan of the form “if X happens, I do Y”: not “sleep more” but “if it’s a weekday and 10:30 pm, the phone goes on the charger in the hallway.” In Gollwitzer and Sheeran’s 2006 meta-analysis (94 tests) such plans improved goal attainment with a medium-to-large effect.
- Learn more: From Wheel of Life to Goals: Plans, Habits and Check-Ins
- See also: Habit, Quarterly goal, Time blocking
- Internal and external interruptions (distractions) #
- Internal ones come from your own head: jot them down in one line and get back to work. External ones come from other people: negotiate (“I’ll come over in fifteen minutes”) and be sure to follow up. A broken pomodoro is data about what distracts you.
- Learn more: What to Do When a Pomodoro Gets Interrupted · How to Set Up Focus on a Mac for Work
- See also: Pomodoro, Focus
- ISO image (ISO, disk image) #
- A file holding an exact copy of an installation disc (
.iso). Linux and Windows installers are distributed this way; you either write it to a stick whole or drop it as a file onto a Ventoy stick. - Learn more: Ventoy Multiboot USB: One Stick for Linux and Windows
- See also: Ventoy, SHA-256 checksum, Live image
K
- kernel_task #
- The macOS kernel process. Among other things it cools the CPU by taking time away from whatever is overloading it, so a high kernel_task figure is a result of heat, not its cause. There is no need to quit it.
- Learn more: How to Check CPU Usage on a Mac: Activity Monitor Guide · Why Is My Mac So Slow? A Step-by-Step Diagnosis · Mac Temperature: Where to Check It and When to Worry
- See also: Thermal throttling, Thermal pressure, Process
- KMS and MAK (volume activation, volume licensing) #
- Ways to activate Windows under a volume licence. A MAK is a key with a limited number of activations through Microsoft’s servers; KMS is an activation service on the organisation’s network. Enterprise and LTSC are activated this way and aren’t sold at retail.
- Learn more: Windows 11 Without a Microsoft Account: Enterprise and LTSC
- See also: LTSC
L
- Life areas (wheel categories) #
- The spokes of the Wheel of Life, such as health, work and career, money, close relationships, friends, growth, leisure and surroundings. There’s no single list: 6–8 areas you can honestly rate in 20 minutes work well; roles can replace areas.
- Learn more: Wheel of Life Categories: 8 Life Areas and How to Pick Yours · The Wheel of Life: What It Is and How to Fill It In
- See also: Wheel of Life, “A 10”
- Live image (live system, LiveCD, LiveUSB) #
- A system that boots from a stick or disc and runs entirely in memory without installing anything. It’s used to test hardware, rescue data and repair a system that won’t boot.
- Learn more: Your Own Debian Live Image: Boot It and SSH Straight In · Ventoy Multiboot USB: One Stick for Linux and Windows
- See also: live-build, SSH, ISO image
- live-build (lb config, lb build) #
- Debian’s scripts for building your own live images:
lb configsets the options, theconfig/folder holds packages, files and hooks, andlb buildproduces the ISO. - Learn more: Your Own Debian Live Image: Boot It and SSH Straight In
- See also: Live image
- Local account (offline account) #
- A Windows account that lives only on this computer, with no Microsoft cloud sign-in. Home and Pro don’t offer it during setup; Enterprise and LTSC create it via Domain join instead.
- Learn more: Windows 11 Without a Microsoft Account: Enterprise and LTSC
- See also: LTSC, OOBE
- Login items (background items) #
- Apps and helpers that start by themselves when you log in. The list is in System Settings → General → Login Items & Extensions; it’s worth pruning, especially after removing an app or a major update.
- Learn more: How Much Space an App Takes on a Mac and How to Remove It · Why Is My Mac So Slow? A Step-by-Step Diagnosis · Mac Slow After a macOS Update: What's Normal, What Isn't
- See also: Safe mode, User Library
- Long break #
- The rest after a round of pomodoros, 15–30 minutes: go outside, eat away from your desk, talk about something other than work. The long rhythms 52/17 and 90/20 have none: every break there is already long.
- Learn more: What to Do on a Pomodoro Break · The Pomodoro Technique: What It Is and How to Start
- See also: Short break, Round of pomodoros
- Long rhythm (52/17, 50/10, 90/20) #
- Pomodoros of 50–90 minutes for tasks that take long to get into: code, writing, design. The 52/17 rule came from DeskTime’s 2014 observation of its own tracker’s users, not from an experiment. The key condition is an honest long break: a long pomodoro without one is just overwork.
- Learn more: The 52/17 Rule and 90-Minute Cycles: Longer Pomodoros · Time Blocking and Pomodoro: How to Plan a Working Day
- See also: Rhythm, BRAC, Flowtime, Long break
- Low Data Mode #
- A mode that, per Apple, reduces data usage on the chosen Wi‑Fi network: Wi‑Fi → Details… next to the network → Low Data Mode. Useful on an iPhone hotspot or a capped plan; iCloud Photos, for example, pauses syncing in it.
- Learn more: How to See Network Traffic on a Mac: Who Is Downloading
- See also: nettop
- LTSC (Long-Term Servicing Channel, Windows 11 Enterprise LTSC 2024) #
- The long-term servicing channel of Windows: the version stays the same for years, and only fixes and security updates arrive. LTSC has no Microsoft Store or consumer apps; Windows 11 Enterprise LTSC 2024 is supported until October 9, 2029.
- Learn more: Windows 11 Without a Microsoft Account: Enterprise and LTSC
- See also: Local account, KMS and MAK
M
- mDNS (.local, Avahi, Bonjour) #
- A way to find a machine on the local network by a name like
live.localwithout a DNS server: the machine answers queries for its own name. On Linux Avahi does it, on macOS Bonjour. - Learn more: Your Own Debian Live Image: Boot It and SSH Straight In
- See also: SSH
- Memory compression (Compressed) #
- When memory starts running short, macOS compresses data that has not been used for a while right in RAM; that is the Compressed line. Compressing and decompressing is faster than writing to disk, so a few gigabytes here are fine.
- Learn more: Memory Pressure on a Mac: What Yellow and Red Mean · Swap on a Mac: How Much Is Normal and When to Worry
- See also: Swap, Memory Pressure
- Memory Pressure (memory pressure graph) #
- The graph on the Memory tab of Activity Monitor and the main sign of whether memory is enough. Per Apple: green means memory is used efficiently, yellow means you may eventually need more, red means the Mac needs more memory. Watch the color, not the “used” figure.
- Learn more: Memory Pressure on a Mac: What Yellow and Red Mean · Swap on a Mac: How Much Is Normal and When to Worry · Is 8 GB of RAM Enough for a Mac, or Do You Need 16?
- See also: Memory Used, Memory compression, Swap
- Memory Used #
- The Activity Monitor line with how much RAM is in use right now. It almost always looks high, and that is not a warning: macOS keeps a cache in free memory and gives it back on demand.
- Learn more: Memory Pressure on a Mac: What Yellow and Red Mean · How to Check CPU Usage on a Mac: Activity Monitor Guide
- See also: Memory Pressure, Cache
- Micro-break #
- A pause of ten minutes or less. A 2022 meta-analysis by Patricia Albulescu’s group (PLOS ONE) found such pauses slightly raise vigor and reduce fatigue, but have no significant effect on overall performance.
- Learn more: What to Do on a Pomodoro Break
- See also: Short break, Attention residue
N
- nettop #
- A Terminal command showing network activity per process, refreshed every second:
nettop -Pgives one line per process, withbytes_inreceived andbytes_outsent. Press d to see the change between updates, q to quit. - Learn more: How to See Network Traffic on a Mac: Who Is Downloading · How to Check CPU Usage on a Mac: Activity Monitor Guide
- See also: top, Low Data Mode
- Notch (camera housing) #
- The camera cut-out at the top of the screen on some MacBooks. When menu bar icons run out of room, macOS neither shrinks them nor warns you: the leftmost ones silently hide behind the notch.
- Learn more: How to Customize the Mac Menu Bar: Icons and the Notch · Menu Bar System Monitor for Mac: Which One to Choose
- See also: Menu bar
- NVMe (NVM Express) #
- An open standard for connecting SSDs, built for high bandwidth and low latency. In System Information the Mac’s built-in drive is listed under NVMExpress, together with its S.M.A.R.T. status.
- Learn more: How Much Has Been Written to a Mac SSD: Checking Wear · Stats vs iStat Menus vs Activity Monitor: Compared
- See also: SSD, S.M.A.R.T.
O
- OOBE (Windows first-run setup) #
- The Windows first-run setup screens after installation: region, network, account. This is where Home and Pro require a Microsoft account, and where Microsoft is closing tricks like
oobe\bypassnro. - Learn more: Windows 11 Without a Microsoft Account: Enterprise and LTSC
- See also: Local account
- Optimized Battery Charging #
- The Mac learns how you charge and, when it stays plugged in for long, holds charging above 80% until you are likely to need the battery. It protects the battery but doesn’t make a single charge last longer.
- Learn more: MacBook Battery Drain: What Uses the Charge and Where to Look
- See also: Battery Health, Charge cycle
P
- Pomodoro #
- One timed stretch of work, classically 25 minutes on one task. A pomodoro is indivisible: if you’re interrupted and switch tasks, it doesn’t count, so start a new one; finish early and spend the remaining minutes on the same task.
- Learn more: The Pomodoro Technique: What It Is and How to Start · What to Do When a Pomodoro Gets Interrupted
- See also: Pomodoro Technique, Internal and external interruptions, Rhythm
- Pomodoro Technique #
- A way to focus: 25 minutes of work on one task, then a 5-minute break, and a long break after four pomodoros. Francesco Cirillo came up with it in the late 1980s; the name comes from a tomato-shaped kitchen timer (pomodoro in Italian).
- Learn more: The Pomodoro Technique: What It Is and How to Start · How Long Is a Pomodoro: 25/5, 15/3 or 50/10
- See also: Pomodoro, Short break, Round of pomodoros, Time blocking
- Preventing Sleep (power assertion, pmset -g assertions) #
- A hold by which an app keeps the Mac awake. See who holds it in Activity Monitor (Energy tab, Preventing Sleep column) or in Terminal:
pmset -g assertions, wherePreventUserIdleSystemSleepkeeps the system awake andPreventUserIdleDisplaySleepkeeps the screen on. - Learn more: How to Keep Your Mac Awake: Settings, caffeinate, the Lid · MacBook Battery Drain: What Uses the Charge and Where to Look · How to Check CPU Usage on a Mac: Activity Monitor Guide
- See also: Sleep, caffeinate, Energy Impact
- Process (PID) #
- A running program or part of one: a single app can have several processes, browser tabs for example. Each process has its own number, the PID, shown in Activity Monitor.
- Learn more: How to Check CPU Usage on a Mac: Activity Monitor Guide · Mac Slow After a macOS Update: What's Normal, What Isn't
- See also: Activity Monitor, Force Quit, kernel_task
Q
- Quarterly goal (12 weeks) #
- An observable difference you can check yes-or-no after 12 weeks: not “health at 6” but “I sleep seven hours on weekdays.” It comes with one weekly action that has a slot in the calendar and a short review; the quarter is this site’s advice, not a rule of the method.
- Learn more: From Wheel of Life to Goals: Plans, Habits and Check-Ins
- See also: Implementation intentions, Time blocking, Wheel of Life
R
- RAM (memory) #
- Fast memory where open apps and their data live. On a Mac the amount is chosen at purchase; when it runs short, macOS first compresses data and then moves it to swap, so the Mac slows down gradually instead of failing with an error.
- Learn more: Is 8 GB of RAM Enough for a Mac, or Do You Need 16? · Memory Pressure on a Mac: What Yellow and Red Mean
- See also: Unified memory, Memory Pressure, Memory Used
- Rhythm (Gentle Start, Classic, Deep Focus) #
- Four numbers: pomodoro length, short break, long break and pomodoros per round. Ready-made options are Gentle Start 15/3/10, Classic 25/5/15 and Deep Focus 50/10/20 with three pomodoros per round; change one number at a time and give it a week.
- Learn more: How Long Is a Pomodoro: 25/5, 15/3 or 50/10 · The 52/17 Rule and 90-Minute Cycles: Longer Pomodoros
- See also: Pomodoro, Long rhythm, Round of pomodoros
- Round of pomodoros (cycle, pomodoros per cycle) #
- The run of pomodoros before a long break: four in the classic rhythm, about two hours with breaks. A working day usually holds three or four rounds.
- Learn more: The Pomodoro Technique: What It Is and How to Start · How Long Is a Pomodoro: 25/5, 15/3 or 50/10
- See also: Long break, Rhythm
S
- S.M.A.R.T. (drive self-monitoring) #
- Health data a drive reports about itself. macOS shows only the verdict, S.M.A.R.T. status: Verified; data written and wear are visible via
smartctlor third-party monitors. As Oakley notes, macOS doesn’t pass this data on for USB drives. - Learn more: How Much Has Been Written to a Mac SSD: Checking Wear · Stats vs iStat Menus vs Activity Monitor: Compared
- See also: smartctl, SSD, TBW
- Safe mode #
- Starting the Mac so that some third-party software doesn’t load. On Apple silicon: shut down, hold the power button until startup options appear, select the disk, hold Shift and click Continue in Safe Mode. Faster there? Look at login items and extensions.
- Learn more: Why Is My Mac So Slow? A Step-by-Step Diagnosis · Mac Slow After a macOS Update: What's Normal, What Isn't
- See also: Login items
- Sandbox (App Sandbox) #
- A macOS restriction under which an app can reach only what it is explicitly allowed to. Widget extensions must run sandboxed, and the sandbox doesn’t expose temperature sensors or other apps’ processes; that’s why some monitors show degrees and others don’t.
- Learn more: Menu Bar System Monitor for Mac: Which One to Choose · Stats vs iStat Menus vs Activity Monitor: Compared
- See also: Widget, SMC
- Secure Boot #
- A UEFI mode in which the firmware starts only boot loaders with a trusted signature. Ventoy works with it once you confirm its key on the MokManager screen (Enroll key); Windows 11 officially requires Secure Boot, Windows 7 doesn’t understand it.
- Learn more: Ventoy Multiboot USB: One Stick for Linux and Windows · Windows 11 Without a Microsoft Account: Enterprise and LTSC
- See also: UEFI and BIOS (CSM), Ventoy
- SHA-256 checksum (hash, sha256sum) #
- A short string computed from a file’s contents: change a single byte and the sum changes. Vendors publish sums next to their images, and checking catches both a broken download and a tampered file.
- Learn more: Ventoy Multiboot USB: One Stick for Linux and Windows
- See also: ISO image
- Short break (break) #
- The rest between pomodoros, 5 minutes in the classic rhythm. It only works if it doesn’t look like work: stand up, look into the distance, get some water; feeds, email and chats are not rest. “Saving” breaks means working noticeably slower by evening.
- Learn more: What to Do on a Pomodoro Break · How Long Is a Pomodoro: 25/5, 15/3 or 50/10
- See also: Long break, Micro-break, 20-20-20 rule
- Shortcuts #
- The macOS app for building your own commands from ready-made actions. Its Set Focus action lets other apps turn a Focus mode on and off; that is how the Pomodoro app turns Focus on for a pomodoro.
- Learn more: Pomodoro and Focus on macOS: Silence Notifications · How to Set Up Focus on a Mac for Work
- See also: Focus
- Sleep (display sleep and system sleep) #
- When idle, macOS first turns off the display, and the computer itself sleeps separately by its own rules: the screen can be dark while the Mac keeps downloading and copying. Set in Lock Screen (display) and in Battery or Energy (the Mac).
- Learn more: How to Keep Your Mac Awake: Settings, caffeinate, the Lid
- See also: Preventing Sleep, caffeinate
- smartctl (smartmontools) #
- A free tool from smartmontools (
brew install smartmontools) that reads a drive’s S.M.A.R.T. data:smartctl -a disk0. The key lines are Data Units Written (total written), Percentage Used (estimated share of endurance used) and Available Spare (cells left to replace worn ones). - Learn more: How Much Has Been Written to a Mac SSD: Checking Wear
- See also: S.M.A.R.T., TBW, SSD
- SMC (System Management Controller) #
- The Mac controller that, among other things, runs the fans. Macs with Apple silicon have no separate SMC reset: per Apple it resets itself on restart; a manual reset exists only on Intel Macs.
- Learn more: Mac Temperature: Where to Check It and When to Worry · Menu Bar System Monitor for Mac: Which One to Choose
- See also: Thermal pressure, Apple silicon
- Spotlight (⌘ Space) #
- The macOS search: press ⌘ Space and type a name to open an app, file or setting. To find files by their contents, Spotlight keeps an index on the Mac itself.
- Learn more: How to Check CPU Usage on a Mac: Activity Monitor Guide · Mac Slow After a macOS Update: What's Normal, What Isn't
- See also: Spotlight indexing
- Spotlight indexing (mds, mds_stores, mdworker) #
- Background work in which the Mac re-reads files for search; it shows up in Activity Monitor as
mds,mds_storesandmdworker. After a major update Apple says it can take hours or even days, and it goes fastest on power while the Mac is idle. - Learn more: Mac Slow After a macOS Update: What's Normal, What Isn't · Why Is My Mac So Slow? A Step-by-Step Diagnosis
- See also: Spotlight, Process
- SSD (solid-state drive) #
- A flash-memory drive, like the Mac’s built-in one: fast, but still slower than RAM. Every SSD has a finite write endurance, yet by Howard Oakley’s estimate even heavy users don’t wear out a built-in SSD within a Mac’s normal lifespan.
- Learn more: How Much Has Been Written to a Mac SSD: Checking Wear · Swap on a Mac: How Much Is Normal and When to Worry
- See also: TBW, S.M.A.R.T., NVMe, Swap
- SSH (ssh, OpenSSH, sshd) #
- A protocol and program for logging into another machine securely over the network: you work at its console from your own terminal. You log in with a password or a key; keys are safer, and root should be allowed in only with a key.
- Learn more: Your Own Debian Live Image: Boot It and SSH Straight In
- See also: mDNS, Live image
- Storage #
- System Settings → General → Storage: disk usage by category, recommendations and a list of apps by size with a Delete button. A nearly full disk slows the Mac down: macOS has nowhere to keep swap, caches and updates.
- Learn more: How Much Space an App Takes on a Mac and How to Remove It · Why Is My Mac So Slow? A Step-by-Step Diagnosis
- See also: App bundle, Swap
- Swap (swap file, paging) #
- Space on the startup disk where macOS moves compressed data when memory runs short even after compression; the files live on the encrypted
/System/Volumes/VMvolume. The amount alone is no diagnosis: worry when swap keeps growing while Memory Pressure is yellow. - Learn more: Swap on a Mac: How Much Is Normal and When to Worry · Memory Pressure on a Mac: What Yellow and Red Mean · How Much Has Been Written to a Mac SSD: Checking Wear
- See also: Memory compression, Memory Pressure, SSD
- System Integrity Protection (SIP) #
- macOS protection that stops system files from being changed. Forum tricks to “turn off swap” require disabling it, which weakens the Mac’s security and leaves it in an unsupported configuration.
- Learn more: Swap on a Mac: How Much Is Normal and When to Worry
- See also: Swap
T
- TBW (terabytes written, write endurance) #
- How many terabytes can be written to an SSD over its life, the way makers state endurance. Apple doesn’t publish TBW for the Mac’s built-in SSDs, so tables claiming a limit for your model shouldn’t be trusted.
- Learn more: How Much Has Been Written to a Mac SSD: Checking Wear
- See also: SSD, smartctl
- Thermal pressure #
- An estimate of how heat-loaded the system is and whether it should slow down. macOS shows no degrees, but
sudo powermetrics --samplers thermal -n 1reports the thermal pressure level, andpmset -g thermshows recorded thermal warnings. - Learn more: Mac Temperature: Where to Check It and When to Worry
- See also: Thermal throttling, kernel_task, SMC
- Thermal throttling (throttling) #
- Under long heavy load the Mac lowers its speed to avoid overheating. That is normal operation, not a fault; it is most noticeable on a MacBook Air with Apple silicon, which has no fan.
- Learn more: Mac Temperature: Where to Check It and When to Worry · Why Is My Mac So Slow? A Step-by-Step Diagnosis
- See also: Thermal pressure, kernel_task, CPU usage
- Time blocking #
- Planning in which every hour of the working day gets a task in advance, as a block in the calendar. Popularized by Cal Newport. The block decides what to work on, pomodoros inside it keep you from drifting; when the day slips, move blocks rather than squeezing pomodoros.
- Learn more: Time Blocking and Pomodoro: How to Plan a Working Day · From Wheel of Life to Goals: Plans, Habits and Check-Ins
- See also: Pomodoro Technique, Quarterly goal
- top #
- A Terminal command listing processes:
top -o cpusorts them by CPU usage, and the CPU usage line at the top shows user, sys and idle percentages. Press q to quit. - Learn more: How to Check CPU Usage on a Mac: Activity Monitor Guide
- See also: CPU usage, nettop, Activity Monitor
U
- UEFI and BIOS (CSM) (Legacy, CSM, boot mode) #
- Two ways a PC boots. UEFI is the modern one, with Secure Boot; BIOS is the old one, called CSM or Legacy on newer boards and often disabled. Ventoy boots in both; the rest depends on the image — Windows 7, for example, needs BIOS.
- Learn more: Ventoy Multiboot USB: One Stick for Linux and Windows
- See also: Secure Boot
- Unified memory #
- Apple’s name for the memory in Macs with Apple silicon: one pool shared by the CPU and the GPU. It sits in the same package as the chip, so it cannot be added after purchase.
- Learn more: Is 8 GB of RAM Enough for a Mac, or Do You Need 16?
- See also: RAM, Apple silicon, GPU
- User Library (~/Library) #
- The
~/Libraryfolder, the Library inside your home folder: data (Application Support), caches (Caches), settings (Preferences) and sandboxed apps’ data (Containers). Remove only what clearly belongs to an app you deleted, and move it to the Trash first. - Learn more: How Much Space an App Takes on a Mac and How to Remove It
- See also: App bundle, Cache, Login items
V
- Ventoy (multiboot USB) #
- A free tool that prepares a USB stick once, after which you just copy ISO images onto it as files. At boot Ventoy shows a menu of every image and starts the one you pick. It installs from Linux or Windows, not from macOS.
- Learn more: Ventoy Multiboot USB: One Stick for Linux and Windows
- See also: ISO image, Secure Boot, UEFI and BIOS (CSM)
W
- “Want” layer (desired level) #
- A second layer on the wheel: in another color (dashed in the template) you mark where you’d like to be in each area and look at the gap from “now.” Mindtools suggests this; the target isn’t always 10.
- Learn more: How to Read Your Wheel of Life and Decide What to Change · Wheel of Life Template: Fill It In Online or Print It
- See also: Wheel of Life, “A 10”
- Wheel of Life (life balance wheel) #
- A circle with a spoke for each life area: rate each from 0 to 10, join the dots, and you see where things sag. Usually credited to Paul J. Meyer; it is a tool for reflection, not a test, with no scientific validation, norms or “right” shape.
- Learn more: The Wheel of Life: What It Is and How to Fill It In · How to Read Your Wheel of Life and Decide What to Change · Wheel of Life Template: Fill It In Online or Print It
- See also: Life areas, “A 10”, “Want” layer
- Widget #
- A small view of an app on the desktop or in Notification Center that shows information without a click. Add one by right-clicking the wallpaper → Edit Widgets. The system draws it on its own update budget, so a widget can’t show live seconds.
- Learn more: Mac Desktop Widgets: How to Add Them and Which to Keep
- See also: Menu bar, Sandbox