Cd

cd

cd is used to change directory. Unlike most commands, cd is not a separate program, it is a shell built-in. cd is a useful tool to navigate up and down the hierarchy of the file systems on your machine, and move into a given directory.

$ cd ~
$ cd /home

Useful Options / Examples

`cd -`

Jump to the last directory that you were in. This will not always necessarily be the parent to your current directory, which would instead be the case if you were to use cd ..

(Note that this command prints current path after completion)

Alborz-Brals-MacBook-Pro:basics abral$ pwd
/Users/abral/Desktop/Computer_Science/EECS 398 (C4CS)/adv_HW_7_2/cse80.github.io/_commands/basics
Alborz-Brals-MacBook-Pro:basics abral$ cd /tmp
Alborz-Brals-MacBook-Pro:tmp abral$ pwd
/tmp
Alborz-Brals-MacBook-Pro:tmp abral$ cd -
/Users/abral/Desktop/Computer_Science/EECS 398 (C4CS)/adv_HW_7_2/cse80.github.io/_commands/basics

`cd ..`

Another way to jump back directory

The two dot characters .. represent the parent directory to the current directory in which we are working

Alborz-Brals-MacBook-Pro:basics abral$ pwd
/Users/abral/Desktop/Computer_Science/EECS 398 (C4CS)/adv_HW_7/cse80.github.io/_commands/basics
Alborz-Brals-MacBook-Pro:basics abral$ cd ..
Alborz-Brals-MacBook-Pro:_commands abral$ pwd
/Users/abral/Desktop/Computer_Science/EECS 398 (C4CS)/adv_HW_7/cse80.github.io/_commands

`cd .`

The one dot character . represents the current directory in which we are working. This command simply moves us to our current directory

Alborz-Brals-MacBook-Pro:basics abral$ pwd
/Users/abral/Desktop/Computer_Science/EECS 398 (C4CS)/adv_HW_7/cse80.github.io/_commands/basics
Alborz-Brals-MacBook-Pro:basics abral$ cd .
Alborz-Brals-MacBook-Pro:basics abral$ pwd
/Users/abral/Desktop/Computer_Science/EECS 398 (C4CS)/adv_HW_7/cse80.github.io/_commands/basics

Of course, this accomplishes nothing; however, there are other uses for the . character pertaining to the cd command. Some of the more common uses can be found on the dot(.) page of the C4CS website

`cd`

Jump back to home directory (same as “cd ~” or “cd /home”)

Alborz-Brals-MacBook-Pro:basics abral$ pwd
/Users/abral/Desktop/Computer_Science/EECS 398 (C4CS)/adv_HW_7/cse80.github.io/_commands/basics
Alborz-Brals-MacBook-Pro:basics abral$ cd
Alborz-Brals-MacBook-Pro:~ abral$ pwd
/Users/abral

`cd /`

Jump to the root directory

Alborz-Brals-MacBook-Pro:basics abral$ pwd
/Users/abral/Desktop/Computer_Science/EECS 398 (C4CS)/adv_HW_7/cse80.github.io/_commands/basics
Alborz-Brals-MacBook-Pro:basics abral$ cd /
Alborz-Brals-MacBook-Pro:/ abral$ pwd
/