Every once in a while I need to make an update to an .htaccess file on a server share or some other dot-file that is normally hidden by the Finder. Instead of editing the file in the terminal with the vi editor—a perfectly appropriate solution, of course—it’s a pretty simple tweak to make the Finder show all of those hidden files.
Just open a Terminal window and run the following:
# defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles -bool true
# KillAll Finder
One thing you might notice after enabling the hidden file option, aside from all those insidious .DS_Store files, is that all of the file icons will take on a hazy, 50% alpha look. I’ve gotten used to it, but it’s a little annoying. To switch things back, just set the AppleShowAllFiles parameter back to false:
# defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles -bool false
# KillAll Finder
Like I said… perfectly appropriate to edit stuff with vi from the terminal window.
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