By name: bsd-cat description: The system runs BSD cat (macOS). GNU-only flags like -A/-T/-E are unavailable; use BSD-compatible equivalents (-et for tab+line-end visibility).
BSD cat
This machine runs BSD cat (macOS), not GNU coreutils. The option sets differ.
BSD cat supports only
-b -e -l -n -s -t -u -v
In particular -e and -t imply -v, so -et already shows all non-printing characters (tabs as ^I, line ends as $).
Do NOT use (GNU-only)
-A (=-vET), -T, -E — these fail with cat: illegal option.
Cheat sheet (GNU → BSD)
| Goal | GNU | BSD (this machine) |
|---|---|---|
| Show everything (tabs + line ends + non-printing) | -A |
-et |
Tabs as ^I |
-T |
-t |
Line ends as $ |
-E |
-e |
| Non-printing chars | -v |
-v |
| Number lines | -n |
-n |
| Number non-blank lines | -b |
-b |
| Squeeze blank lines | -s |
-s |
Note
This is an environment fact, not a tool preference. Use cat normally for viewing
content; just reach for BSD-compatible flags when inspecting whitespace/indentation.