Files

• remove all .DS_Store files below users home directory

  cd && find . -iname '.DS_Store' -a -not -ipath './Library/*' -delete 2>/dev/null

• show file flags: ls -lO
• add a flag: sudo chflags <flag> <file>, with flag:
  • hidden: hidden (for example ~/Library);
  • arch, archived: archived;
  • nodump: ;
  • opaque: ;
  • sappnd, sappend: system append-only;
  • schg, schange, simmutable: system immutable;
  • uappnd, uappend: user append-only;
  • uchg, uchange, uimmutable: user immutable;
• remove a flag: sudo chflags no<flag> <file>

• find all files having quarantine attribute

  sudo find / -user <user> -a -xattrname com.apple.quarantine 2>/dev/null

• remove quarantine file attribute, recursively

  sudo xattr -r -d com.apple.quarantine /path/to/dir

• show file attributes: ls -l@

(Finder) file tags are coded as file attributes in Apple File System (APFS).

• find files having assigned a(ny) tag

  mdfind 'kMDItemUserTags == "*"'
  mdls -name kMDItemUserTags <files>
  find . -xattrname com.apple.metadata:_kMDItemUserTags -print -exec mdls -name kMDItemUserTags '{}' ";" 2>/dev/null

• force deletion of tags from file (x)attributes

  xattr -d com.apple.metadata:_kMDItemUserTags <files>