LINUX
COMMANDS
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In Linux, all files are part of a single filesystem; all
residing in the root ( / ) directory.
For example:
/home/john
...points to the directory john, which is stored
in the directory home/, which is stored in the
directory / (root).
In Linux, each user account has a home directory,
to store work and configuration files in. If John has the
account john, his home directory is /home/john.
(root has the home directory /root .)
When you log-in at the console, or start a terminal window
in X, you begin from your home directory.
Further Help:
What's a filesystem, directory, and
file?
If you're intimidated by the many command examples in
this book, don't panic. With practice and everyday use it'll
all slowly sink in. If all else fails, remember almost everything
can be done from X, with a few simple mouse-clicks.
$ cd - change directory
cd /usr/doc
Move to the /usr/doc directory.
cd reports
Move to the reports directory, contained in the
current directory.
cd ..
Move to the parent directory of the current directory.
Further Help:
What's a current and parent directory?
cd ../..
Move up two directories.
cd ../mywork
Move to the mywork directory, contained in the
parent directory.
cd
Move to the home directory of the account you're logged-in
to, e.g. /home/john.
cd -
Move back to the previous directory you were in.
cd ~/mywork
If logged-in to the account john, the above is
short for, cd /home/john/mywork, i.e. the
~ (tilde) is shorthand for your home directory.
Intermediate Tip:
If logged-in to say, the account bob, there's
also the shorthand cd ~john, short for cd /home/john.
This you could then extend for example, to:
cd ~john/mywork
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