Unix: Change To Last Directory

If you’re wondering, can I:

  • in unix, change to last directory
  • in unix, cd to last used directory
  • in unix change to most recent directory

Well,

cd - will switch you to the previous directory. For example, if you are in /usr/bin/tmp, and go to /etc, you can type cd – to go back to /usr/bin/tmp. You can use this to toggle back and forth between two directories.

cd dir (without a /) will put you in a subdirectory. for example, if you are in /usr, typing cd bin will put you in /usr/bin, while cd /bin puts you in /bin.

cd .. will move you up one directory. So, if you are /usr/bin/tmp, cd .. moves you to /usr/bin, while cd ../.. moves you to /usr (i.e. up two levels). You can use this indirection to access subdirectories too. So, from /usr/bin/tmp, you can use cd ../../local to go to /usr/local.

cd by itself or cd ~ will always put you in your home directory.

cd ~username will put you in username’s home directory.

Unix: Change To Last Directory

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