Hdi2u S10

Changing directories

• Directories are the same as folders. In linux "directory" is more common.
• Directories within directories are called subdirectories"
• The command used to change directories is cd
• Think of your directory structure, (i.e. this set of nested file folders you are in), as a tree structure
• The simplest directory change you can do is move into a directory directly above or below the one you are in.

Exercises

• To change directory to the one above your are in, use the shortcut symbol learnt above

cd ..

• To returns to the last directory you were working in before this one.

cd –

To change to a directory one below you are in, just use the cd command followed by the subdirectory name:

cd subdir_name

• If you need to change directory without worrying where you are now, you could explicitly state the full or absolute path:

cd /usr/local/bin

• If you wish to return to your home directory at any time, just type cd by itself.

cd

• Type

cd utr

• Type it again. Why doesn't this work?

• Change directory into the /usr/bin directory by typing

cd /usr/bin

• List the files in this directory. This is the main directory of runnable programs on the system.
• How can you get back to your home directory from here?