The cd
command is used to change the current working directory (i.e., in which the current user is working). The "cd" stands for "change directory" and it is one of the most frequently used commands in the Linux terminal.
The cd
command is often combined with the ls
command (see chapter 1) when navigating through a system, however, you can also press the TAB
key two times to list the contents of the new directory you just changed to.
- Change the current working directory:
cd <specified_directory_path>
- Change the current working directory to the home directory:
cd ~
OR
cd
- Change to the previous directory:
cd -
This will also echo the absolute path of the previous directory.
- Change the current working directory to the system's root directory:
cd /
Adding a ..
as a directory will allow you to move "up" from a folder:
cd ..
This can also be done multiple times! For example, to move up three folders:
cd ../../../
cd [OPTIONS] directory
Short flag | Long flag | Description |
---|---|---|
-L |
- | Follow symbolic links. By default,cd behaves as if the -L option is specified. |
-P |
- | Don’t follow symbolic links. |