security:tldr:7a2c5

The "security list-keychains" command is a command-line tool used in macOS and OS X systems to list the keychain files present on the system.

In macOS and OS X, a keychain is a secure storage facility that securely stores sensitive information such as passwords, encryption keys, certificates, and secure notes. It acts as a centralized repository for storing and managing these credentials.

When you run the "security list-keychains" command, it will display a list of keychain files that are currently being used by the operating system. This includes both system-wide and user-specific keychains.

The output of the command will typically show the path to each keychain file, allowing you to identify and manage the keychains present on the system. This can be useful if you want to view or modify the contents of a specific keychain, or if you want to check which keychains are being used by the system.

For example, the output of the command might look like this:

"/Library/Keychains/System.keychain" "/Users/username/Library/Keychains/login.keychain-db"

In this example, the command lists two keychain files: one is the system keychain located in the system's Library folder, and the other is the user-specific login keychain located in the user's Library folder.

Overall, the "security list-keychains" command provides an overview of the keychain files currently in use, allowing users to understand and manage their system's keychain security.