Working with files and directories

Changing directory

Once a directory system exists, you need to know how to get from one directory to another, thereby changing your current working directory. This is done using the cd(C) (change directory) command. As an argument to the command, you specify the directory you want to change to, as follows:

cd directory

For example, if your current directory is /u/johnd, you can to change to a directory called /u/workfiles/projects by specifying its absolute pathname, as follows:

   $ cd /u/workfiles/projects

You can also change to the directory by specifying its relative pathname, as follows:

   $ cd ../workfiles/projects

Note that you must have execute permission on a directory before you can change to it. See ``Access control for files and directories''. See ``Returning to your home directory'' for details of a special usage of cd.