cd Command Guide

Basic Usage

The cd command changes the current working directory. Simply provide the path to the directory you want to navigate to.

bash

cd /path/to/directory

Common Shortcuts

Linux provides several shortcuts for common navigation patterns.

Home directory (~)

bash

# Go to home directory
cd ~

# Or simply
cd

Previous directory (-)

bash

# Go back to the previous directory
cd -

This is useful for toggling between two directories.

Parent directory (..)

bash

# Go up one directory
cd ..

# Go up two directories
cd ../..

Current directory (.)

bash

# Stay in current directory (rarely used alone)
cd .

Navigation Shortcuts

~	Home directory
-	Previous directory
..	Parent directory
.	Current directory
/	Root directory

Absolute vs Relative Paths

Absolute paths

Absolute paths start from the root directory (/).

bash

cd /home/user/documents
cd /var/log
cd /etc/nginx

Relative paths

Relative paths start from the current directory.

bash

# If you're in /home/user
cd documents        # Goes to /home/user/documents
cd ./documents      # Same as above
cd ../otheruser     # Goes to /home/otheruser

Tip

Use pwd (print working directory) to see your current location at any time.

Practical Examples

Navigate to a project directory

bash

cd ~/projects/my-app

Navigate with tab completion

bash

# Type partial name and press Tab to complete
cd Doc<Tab>  # Completes to Documents

Navigate to a directory with spaces

bash

# Use quotes or escape the space
cd "My Documents"
cd My\ Documents

Using environment variables

bash

cd $HOME
cd $PROJECT_DIR

Warning

If cd fails, it usually means the directory doesn't exist or you don't have permission to access it. Use ls to verify the directory exists.

Tips and Tricks

Use pushd and popd for directory stack

bash

# Push current directory and change to new one
pushd /var/log

# Pop back to previous directory
popd

Create and navigate in one command

bash

mkdir -p new-project && cd new-project

Summary

The cd command is essential for filesystem navigation. Key takeaways:

Use cd ~ or just cd to go home
Use cd - to toggle between directories
Use cd .. to go up one level
Use Tab completion for faster navigation
Quote paths with spaces or use backslash escaping

Quick Reference

Basic

Shortcuts

Paths

Tips

Downloadable Image Preview

Basic Usage

Common Shortcuts

Home directory (~)

Previous directory (-)

Parent directory (..)

Current directory (.)

Navigation Shortcuts

Absolute vs Relative Paths

Absolute paths

Relative paths

Practical Examples

Navigate to a project directory

Navigate with tab completion

Navigate to a directory with spaces

Using environment variables

Tips and Tricks

Use pushd and popd for directory stack

Create and navigate in one command

Summary

Related Articles

ls Command Guide

find Command Guide