Access User ~/Library Folder in OS X Lion

[Geek]

<div class="KonaBody"><p><img alt="User Library Folder in OS X Lion" src="http://osxdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/show-library-mac-os-x-lion.jpg" title="User Library Folder in OS X Lion" class="aligncenter" width="600" height="191" /></p>

<p>Mac OS X 10.7 Lion hides the ~/Library directory by default. This is easy to reverse and <a href="http://osxdaily.com/2011/07/04/show-library-directory-in-mac-os-x-lion/">show Library all the time</a> with a terminal command, but for most users that simply isn’t necessary because they won’t be accessing the Library directory enough to make it worthwhile.</p>

<p>For quick and temporary access to your ~/Library/ directory that still retains it’s default hidden nature, try one of the following three tips:</p>

<h2 style="font-size:1.2em;">Use “Go To Folder” and Open ~/Library/ Directly</h2>

<p>All you need to do is hit <strong>Command+Shift+G</strong> from the Mac desktop (or Finder > Go > Go to Folder) and type in ~/Library to temporarily access the Library directory in the Finder. When you are done, close this window and it will no longer be visible.</p>

<p><img src="http://osxdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/temporary-access-to-user-library-in-os-x-lion.jpg" alt="Access User Library folder in Mac OS X Lion" title="temporary-access-to-user-library-in-os-x-lion" width="620" height="300" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-19150" /></p>

<p><span id="more-19149"></span></p>

<h2 style="font-size:1.2em;">Hold Option and Use the “Go” Menu to Show Library</h2>

<p>Holding down the Option key will show the “Library” directory as an option in the Finders Go menu. The other nice thing about the Go menu is that after you have accessed ~/Library on multiple occasions, it will start to appear in the “Recent Folders” submenu for easy repeat access.</p>

<p><img src="http://osxdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/access-library-lion.jpg" alt="Access the Library directory in OS X Lions Go Menu" title="access-library-lion" width="535" height="285" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-19153" /></p>

<h2 style="font-size:1.2em;">Access ~/Library from the Terminal</h2>

<p>There are a few approaches to the Terminal access of ~/Library, one is to just manually manipulate the filesystem from the <a href="http://osxdaily.com/category/command-line/">command line</a>:</p>

<p><code>cd ~/Library</code></p>

<p>You can then manipulate directories or do what what you want in here. If you’re not comfortable with that, you can also just use the ‘open’ command to access ~/Library in the Finder, via the Terminal:</p>

<p><code>open ~/Library/</code></p>

<p><em>Thanks to Fred who left that last tip in our comments.</em></p>

<p>The next time you hear someone who just upgraded to Lion frantically ask “<em>Where did my Library folder go??</em>” you can show them these tips. </p>

<p>Don’t forget to check out the <a href="http://osxdaily.com/tag/mac-os-x-10-7/">rest of our Mac OS X Lion tips, tricks, and coverage!</a></p>

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