Introduction to the cd Command

In this tutorial, you will learn how to use the cd command to change the current working directory in Linux. You will learn how to navigate to different directories using absolute and relative paths, as well as how to use special syntax to navigate to your home directory and the root directory of the file system. You will also learn how to use the cd – syntax to switch to the previous working directory.

The cd command is a basic Linux command that is used to change the current working directory. It is an essential tool for navigating the file system and accessing the files and directories you need.

Changing to a Different Directory

Here is a tutorial on using the cd command:

To change to a different directory, simply type cd followed by the path to the directory you want to switch to, and press enter:

$ cd /path/to/directory

For example, to change to the /home/user/documents directory, you would use the following command:

$ cd /home/user/documents

Navigating to Directories Relative to the Current Working Directory

You can also use cd to navigate to directories relative to the current working directory. For example, to change to the documents directory within the current directory, you can use the following command:

documents

To navigate to the parent directory of the current directory, you can use the .. syntax, like this:

$ cd ..

This will move you up one directory level. You can use multiple .. to move up multiple levels, like this:

$ cd ../../..

This will move you up three directory levels.

Navigating to Special Directories

You can also use the cd command to navigate to special directories. For example, to change to your home directory, you can use the ~ syntax like this:

$ cd ~

This is equivalent to specifying the full path to your home directory, which is usually /home/username.

To navigate to the root directory of the file system, you can use the / syntax like this:

$ cd /

Finally, to change to the previous working directory, you can use the - syntax like this:

$ cd -

I hope this tutorial on the cd command has been helpful!