This article explains basic commands for navigation within Linux file system. The diagram below represents (part of) a Linux file system know as Filesystem Hierarchy Standard. A line from one node to a node on its right indicates containment. For example, the student directory is contained within the home directory.

1. When you are working within a shell terminal, you are always operating in a particular directory. To determine which directory you are in, use the pwd command:

student@linuxgym:$ pwd /usr/local/bin 
student@linuxgym:$ cd 
student@linuxgym:$ pwd /home/student 
student@linuxgym:$ 

2. Your home directory is the directory you are in when you first open the terminal. To go to your home directory from anywhere, just type "cd":

student@linuxgym:$ pwd
/usr/local/bin
student@linuxgym:$ cd
student@linuxgym:$ pwd
/home/student
student@linuxgym:$ 

3. An absolute path name is one beginning with the "/" character, which signifies the root of the file system tree. Therefore, another way of going to your home directory is:

student@linuxgym:/etc$ cd /home/student
student@linuxgym:$ pwd
/home/student
student@linuxgym:$

4. A relative path is one which starts with the name of a directory connected to the current directory. For example, if you are in the /usr directory, then typing only "cd bin" (without preceding "bin" with "/") has the following effect:

student@linuxgym:$ pwd
/usr
student@linuxgym:$ cd bin
student@linuxgym:$ pwd
/usr/bin
student@linuxgym:$

and you go to /usr/bin rather than /usr/local/bin or /bin. 5. To go to the directory containing the current working directory (also called the parent directory) type:

student@linuxgym:$ pwd
/usr/bin
student@linuxgym:$ cd ..
student@linuxgym:$ pwd
/usr
student@linuxgym:$

6. The relative pathname of the current working directory is called "." (the full stop). Therefore typing:

student@linuxgym:$ pwd
/usr/bin
student@linuxgym:$ cd . 
student@linuxgym:$ pwd
/usr/bin
student@linuxgym:$

does not change the current working directory.