cd

Additional Notes

cd changes the current directory of your shell. It is usually a shell builtin, not a separate program, because the current directory belongs to the running shell process.

Learning cd, pwd, and ls together is the foundation of moving through Linux.

Syntax

cd [directory]

Parameters

• directory: Target directory to move into.
• No directory: Move to your home directory.

Common Forms

• cd /path: Move to an absolute path.
• cd relative/path: Move relative to the current directory.
• cd: Move to your home directory.
• cd ~: Move to your home directory.
• cd ..: Move to the parent directory.
• cd ../..: Move up two directories.
• cd -: Switch to the previous directory.
• cd .: Stay in the current directory.

Examples

cd /var/log

Move to /var/log.

cd ~/projects

Move to the projects directory inside your home.

cd ..

Move to the parent directory.

cd -

Return to the previous directory.

pwd

Check where you are after moving.

Practical Notes

• Absolute paths start with /.
• Relative paths start from your current directory.
• ~ means your home directory.
• Use quotes for directories with spaces: cd "My Folder".
• If cd says permission denied, you may not have execute permission on that directory.