NAME

cd − Changes the current working directory

SYNOPSIS

cd [directory]

Note

The C shell has a built-in version of the cd command.  If you are using the c shell, and want to guarantee that you are using the command described here, you must specify the full path /usr/bin/cd.  See the csh(1) reference page for a description of the built-in command. 

STANDARDS

Interfaces documented on this reference page conform to industry standards as follows:

cd:  XPG4, XPG4−UNIX

Refer to the standards(5) reference page for more information about industry standards and associated tags. 

FLAGS

None

PARAMETERS

directoryThe pathname (either full or relative) to be used as the new working directory. 

If (hyphen) is specified as the directory, the cd command changes your current (working) directory to the directory name saved in the environment variable OLDPWD. 

DESCRIPTION

The cd command moves you from your present directory to another directory.  You must have execute (search) permission in the specified directory. 

If you do not specify a directory, cd moves you to your login directory ($HOME in ksh and sh environments, or $home in csh environment).  If the specified directory name is a full pathname, it becomes the current working directory.  A full pathname begins with a / (slash) for the root directory, with a . (dot) for the current working directory, or with a .. (dot dot) for the parent directory.  If the directory name is not a full pathname, cd searches for it relative to one of the paths specified by the $CDPATH shell variable (or $cdpath csh variable).  This variable has the same syntax as, and similar semantics to, the $PATH shell variable (or $path csh variable). 

ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES

The following environment variables affect the execution of cd:

CDPATHA colon-separated list of pathnames that refer to directories. If the directory operand does not begin with a / (slash) character, and the first component is not . (dot) or .. (dot dot), the cd command will search for directory relative to each directory named in the CDPATH variable, in the order listed. The new working directory will be set to the first matching directory found. An empty string in place of a directory pathname represents the current directory. If CDPATH is not set, it will be treated as if it were an empty string. 

HOMEThe name of the home directory, used when no directory parameter is specified. 

LANGProvides a default value for the internationalization variables that are unset or null. If LANG is unset or null, the corresponding value from the default locale is used. If any of the internationalization variables contain an invalid setting, the utility behaves as if none of the variables had been defined. 

LC_ALLIf set to a non-empty string value, overrides the values of all the other internationalization variables. 

LC_CTYPEDetermines the locale for the interpretation of sequences of bytes of text data as characters (for example, single-byte as opposed to multibyte characters in arguments). 

LC_MESSAGESDetermines the locale for the format and contents of diagnostic messages written to standard error. 

NLSPATHDetermines the location of message catalogues for the processing of LC_MESSAGES. 

OLDPWDA pathname of the previous working directory, used by the cd - form of the command.  The cd command sets this variable to your current working directory before changing to a new current directory. 

PWDA pathname of the current working directory, set by the cd command after it has changed to that directory. 

EXAMPLES

     1.To change to your home directory, enter:

cd

     2.To change to a new directory, enter:

cd  /usr/include

This changes the current working directory to /usr/include.  Now file pathnames that do not begin with / or ../ specify files located in /usr/include. 

     3.To go down one level of the directory tree, enter:

cd  sys

If the current working directory is /usr/include and if it contains a subdirectory named sys, then /usr/include/sys becomes the current working directory. 

     4.To go up one level of the directory tree, enter:

cd  ..

The special filename .. (dot dot) always refers to the directory immediately above the current working directory. 

EXIT VALUES

The following exit values are returned:

0The directory was successfully changed. 

>0An error occurred

RELATED INFORMATION

Commands:  csh(1), ksh(1), pwd(1), Bourne shell sh(1b), POSIX shell (sh(1p)

Functions:  chdir(2)

Environment:  environ(5)

Standards:  standards(5)