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•Arnošt Havelka

Change folders in Bash with cd

Jump to /, step up with .., and go home with ~ using the Bash cd command.

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Change folders in Bash with cd

cd changes the folder you are standing in. In Bash, three shortcuts cover most day-to-day moves: the filesystem root /, one level up with .., and your home folder with ~.

Unlike Windows Command Prompt, Bash paths use forward slashes. cd / is the top of the tree, not a drive letter.

Jump to the root: cd /

/ is the start of every absolute path. From anywhere, cd / takes you there.

Try the command

Move to a well-known location!

Build the command
cd
Terminal
C:\Users\User>cd /

Go to the top of the tree:

Command Prompt
/home/student/projects
C:\Users\User>pwd

Step up one folder: cd ..

.. always means the parent. Run it twice to climb two levels. Combine it with a name when you want a sibling folder, such as cd ../docs.

Command Prompt
/tmp/work
C:\Users\User>pwd

Go home: cd ~

~ expands to your home directory. cd with no argument does the same thing. Use this when you are buried in a project tree and want a fast reset.

cd ~
pwd

Typical output looks like /home/student.

Knowledge Check

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Which command takes you to the filesystem root in Bash?

References

These documentation links provide authoritative details for the commands used in this article.

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