Basic UNIX Navigation Commands

The following basic UNIX commands can help you navigate the UNIX file system.

Command	Example	Function
ls	ls ls -l ls -al ls /usr/home	list files in the current directory list files in the current directory in a long listing list all files including files beginning with a "." list files in the /usr/home directory
pwd	pwd	print working directory - check the current directory
cd	cd	changes to your assigned home directory
	cd /usr/home	change directory to /usr/home
	cd bob	change directory to bob
	cd ..	change up one directory (.. represents parent dir)
	cd ../logs	change up one directory and down to the logs directory
mkdir	mkdir tmp	make directory tmp under the present directory
rmdir	rmdir tmp	remove directory tmp
rm	rm test	remove the file test
	rm -f test	remove the file test without prompting
	rm -rf tmp	remove the tmp directory and all subdirectories and files in tmp without prompting (be very careful with this)
cp	cp test test.new	copy the file test to test.new

The following is a list of file system symbols and definitions:

Symbol	Definition
.	Current directory
..	Parent directory
/	When used by itself or at the beginning of a path it represents the root directory. When used within a path it is a separator.
~	Alias for the path to users home directory /usr/home/login_name.

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Note: If you are logged in as Bob and your home directory is /usr/home/bob, then cd ~/etc would change to /usr/home/bob/etc.

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