Understanding 'mkdir', 'cd', and 'pwd' Commands in Linux

Summary

Linux is a powerful operating system that provides users with robust command-line tools for managing files and directories.

Some of the essential linux commands

Among the essential commands are 'mkdir', 'cd', and 'pwd', which are foundational for navigating and organizing your system. This article will explain these commands in detail, complete with examples.

Understanding the 'mkdir', 'cd', and 'pwd' Commands

In this article, we will explore three essential commands used in the command-line interface: 'mkdir', 'cd', and 'pwd'. These commands are fundamental when working with directories in Linux, macOS, or any Unix-like operating system. We’ll also include examples to illustrate their usage.

1. mkdir Command: Create Directories

The mkdir command is used to create new directories. It stands for "make directory."

Common Options:

-p: Creates parent directories as needed.

-v: Displays a message for each directory created.

mkdir [options] directory_name

Examples using 'mkdir'

The following code will create a single directory, create nested directories and create multiple directories at once

$ mkdir my_folder

$ mkdir -p parent_folder/child_folder

$ mkdir dir1 dir2 dir3

2. cd Command: Change Directory

The 'cd' command is used to navigate between directories.

Examples for the 'cd' command

Below there are some examples about the cd command

Navigate to a directory:
$ cd my_folder

Move to the parent directory:
$ cd ..

Return to the home directory
$ cd ~

Move to a subdirectory
$ cd documents

Navigate to an absolute path
$ cd /usr/local/bin

3. The pwd command (Print Working Directory)

The 'pwd' command displays the full path of the current working directory.

Examples

Print the current directory path:
$ pwd

Output might look like:
/home/user/documents

Understanding the mkdir, cd, and pwd Commands in Linux The Linux command line provides powerful tools to interact with the file system. Three fundame

Let's create a directory structure and navigate through it.

# Step 1: Create a directory structure
mkdir -p project/src/assets

# Step 2: Navigate to the project directory
cd project

# Step 3: Verify the current working directory
pwd
# Output: /path/to/project

# Step 4: Move to the 'src' directory
cd src

# Step 5: Verify the current working directory again
pwd
# Output: /path/to/project/src

Summary

- mkdir: Creates directories.
- cd: Navigates between directories.
- pwd: Displays the current directory path.

These commands are foundational to working with the Linux command line and are essential for effective file system navigation and management.