Backslash at start of file path?
When using the cd command at the terminal, I get a 'no such directory' error if I type something like
cd /directory/whatever/
But when I type something like
cd directory/whatever/
It works just fine.
This occurs whether I am in the home directory or inside another directory.
What's more, this only seems to apply to directories like Downloads, Pictures, and the like, and also directories that I have created myself. Directories like usr and etc do not have this problem.
What could be causing this? and how can I change it to normal?
command-line cd-command
asked Feb 21 at 10:53
InglorionInglorion
31
add a comment |
When using the cd command at the terminal, I get a 'no such directory' error if I type something like
cd /directory/whatever/
But when I type something like
cd directory/whatever/
It works just fine.
This occurs whether I am in the home directory or inside another directory.
What's more, this only seems to apply to directories like Downloads, Pictures, and the like, and also directories that I have created myself. Directories like usr and etc do not have this problem.
What could be causing this? and how can I change it to normal?
command-line cd-command
asked Feb 21 at 10:53
InglorionInglorion
31
1
Welcome to Ask Ubuntu! Please edit your question to add the output of thepwdcommand before and after you executed yourcd.
– Melebius
Feb 21 at 10:57
add a comment |
When using the cd command at the terminal, I get a 'no such directory' error if I type something like
cd /directory/whatever/
But when I type something like
cd directory/whatever/
It works just fine.
This occurs whether I am in the home directory or inside another directory.
What's more, this only seems to apply to directories like Downloads, Pictures, and the like, and also directories that I have created myself. Directories like usr and etc do not have this problem.
What could be causing this? and how can I change it to normal?
command-line cd-command
asked Feb 21 at 10:53
InglorionInglorion
31
When using the cd command at the terminal, I get a 'no such directory' error if I type something like
cd /directory/whatever/
But when I type something like
cd directory/whatever/
It works just fine.
This occurs whether I am in the home directory or inside another directory.
What's more, this only seems to apply to directories like Downloads, Pictures, and the like, and also directories that I have created myself. Directories like usr and etc do not have this problem.
What could be causing this? and how can I change it to normal?
command-line cd-command
command-line cd-command
asked Feb 21 at 10:53
InglorionInglorion
31
asked Feb 21 at 10:53
InglorionInglorion
31
asked Feb 21 at 10:53
InglorionInglorion
31
asked Feb 21 at 10:53
InglorionInglorion
31
asked Feb 21 at 10:53
InglorionInglorion
31
31
1
Welcome to Ask Ubuntu! Please edit your question to add the output of thepwdcommand before and after you executed yourcd.
– Melebius
Feb 21 at 10:57
add a comment |
1
Welcome to Ask Ubuntu! Please edit your question to add the output of thepwdcommand before and after you executed yourcd.
– Melebius
Feb 21 at 10:57
1
1
Welcome to Ask Ubuntu! Please edit your question to add the output of the
pwd command before and after you executed your cd.– Melebius
Feb 21 at 10:57
Welcome to Ask Ubuntu! Please edit your question to add the output of the
pwd command before and after you executed your cd.– Melebius
Feb 21 at 10:57
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
cd /directory/whatever/ uses full pathname, starting from top-most directory /. Usually only users with root/sudo level of privilege can create directories there, so likely directory in / does not exist , hence the error.
cd directory/whatever/ uses relative pathname - relative to current working directory. Terminal starts out in user's home directory, aka /home/$USER aka same as what pwd or echo $PWD would report. Likely you've created directory and subdirectory whatever in your home directory. Equivalent would be cd ./directory/whatever, where ./ signifies current working directory link.
As for d that uses the slash as escape character, which is here unnecessary but would be necessary in cases where filename contains special characters that shell treats as having different meaning. For example, cd with space and cd 'with space' are the same - one single string as argument to cd. By contrast, cd with space are two different strings given as arguments to cd (because unescaped spaces are treated as word separators in shell, aka word splitting) and of course it will result in an error
answered Feb 21 at 11:00
Sergiy KolodyazhnyySergiy Kolodyazhnyy
74.4k9155325
1
“cd with space are two different strings given as arguments to cd (…) and of course it will result in an error” …not necessarily if you’re using Zsh. blog.confirm.ch/zsh-tips-changing-directories
– Melebius
Feb 21 at 11:06
And of coursecd "./directory with space/foo"takes care of whitespace in any shell.
– Carl Witthoft
Feb 21 at 12:29
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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cd /directory/whatever/ uses full pathname, starting from top-most directory /. Usually only users with root/sudo level of privilege can create directories there, so likely directory in / does not exist , hence the error.
cd directory/whatever/ uses relative pathname - relative to current working directory. Terminal starts out in user's home directory, aka /home/$USER aka same as what pwd or echo $PWD would report. Likely you've created directory and subdirectory whatever in your home directory. Equivalent would be cd ./directory/whatever, where ./ signifies current working directory link.
As for d that uses the slash as escape character, which is here unnecessary but would be necessary in cases where filename contains special characters that shell treats as having different meaning. For example, cd with space and cd 'with space' are the same - one single string as argument to cd. By contrast, cd with space are two different strings given as arguments to cd (because unescaped spaces are treated as word separators in shell, aka word splitting) and of course it will result in an error
answered Feb 21 at 11:00
Sergiy KolodyazhnyySergiy Kolodyazhnyy
74.4k9155325
1
“cd with space are two different strings given as arguments to cd (…) and of course it will result in an error” …not necessarily if you’re using Zsh. blog.confirm.ch/zsh-tips-changing-directories
– Melebius
Feb 21 at 11:06
And of coursecd "./directory with space/foo"takes care of whitespace in any shell.
– Carl Witthoft
Feb 21 at 12:29
add a comment |
cd /directory/whatever/ uses full pathname, starting from top-most directory /. Usually only users with root/sudo level of privilege can create directories there, so likely directory in / does not exist , hence the error.
cd directory/whatever/ uses relative pathname - relative to current working directory. Terminal starts out in user's home directory, aka /home/$USER aka same as what pwd or echo $PWD would report. Likely you've created directory and subdirectory whatever in your home directory. Equivalent would be cd ./directory/whatever, where ./ signifies current working directory link.
As for d that uses the slash as escape character, which is here unnecessary but would be necessary in cases where filename contains special characters that shell treats as having different meaning. For example, cd with space and cd 'with space' are the same - one single string as argument to cd. By contrast, cd with space are two different strings given as arguments to cd (because unescaped spaces are treated as word separators in shell, aka word splitting) and of course it will result in an error
answered Feb 21 at 11:00
Sergiy KolodyazhnyySergiy Kolodyazhnyy
74.4k9155325
1
“cd with space are two different strings given as arguments to cd (…) and of course it will result in an error” …not necessarily if you’re using Zsh. blog.confirm.ch/zsh-tips-changing-directories
– Melebius
Feb 21 at 11:06
And of coursecd "./directory with space/foo"takes care of whitespace in any shell.
– Carl Witthoft
Feb 21 at 12:29
add a comment |
cd /directory/whatever/ uses full pathname, starting from top-most directory /. Usually only users with root/sudo level of privilege can create directories there, so likely directory in / does not exist , hence the error.
cd directory/whatever/ uses relative pathname - relative to current working directory. Terminal starts out in user's home directory, aka /home/$USER aka same as what pwd or echo $PWD would report. Likely you've created directory and subdirectory whatever in your home directory. Equivalent would be cd ./directory/whatever, where ./ signifies current working directory link.
As for d that uses the slash as escape character, which is here unnecessary but would be necessary in cases where filename contains special characters that shell treats as having different meaning. For example, cd with space and cd 'with space' are the same - one single string as argument to cd. By contrast, cd with space are two different strings given as arguments to cd (because unescaped spaces are treated as word separators in shell, aka word splitting) and of course it will result in an error
answered Feb 21 at 11:00
Sergiy KolodyazhnyySergiy Kolodyazhnyy
74.4k9155325
cd /directory/whatever/ uses full pathname, starting from top-most directory /. Usually only users with root/sudo level of privilege can create directories there, so likely directory in / does not exist , hence the error.
cd directory/whatever/ uses relative pathname - relative to current working directory. Terminal starts out in user's home directory, aka /home/$USER aka same as what pwd or echo $PWD would report. Likely you've created directory and subdirectory whatever in your home directory. Equivalent would be cd ./directory/whatever, where ./ signifies current working directory link.
As for d that uses the slash as escape character, which is here unnecessary but would be necessary in cases where filename contains special characters that shell treats as having different meaning. For example, cd with space and cd 'with space' are the same - one single string as argument to cd. By contrast, cd with space are two different strings given as arguments to cd (because unescaped spaces are treated as word separators in shell, aka word splitting) and of course it will result in an error
answered Feb 21 at 11:00
Sergiy KolodyazhnyySergiy Kolodyazhnyy
74.4k9155325
answered Feb 21 at 11:00
Sergiy KolodyazhnyySergiy Kolodyazhnyy
74.4k9155325
answered Feb 21 at 11:00
Sergiy KolodyazhnyySergiy Kolodyazhnyy
74.4k9155325
answered Feb 21 at 11:00
Sergiy KolodyazhnyySergiy Kolodyazhnyy
74.4k9155325
74.4k9155325
1
“cd with space are two different strings given as arguments to cd (…) and of course it will result in an error” …not necessarily if you’re using Zsh. blog.confirm.ch/zsh-tips-changing-directories
– Melebius
Feb 21 at 11:06
And of coursecd "./directory with space/foo"takes care of whitespace in any shell.
– Carl Witthoft
Feb 21 at 12:29
add a comment |
1
“cd with space are two different strings given as arguments to cd (…) and of course it will result in an error” …not necessarily if you’re using Zsh. blog.confirm.ch/zsh-tips-changing-directories
– Melebius
Feb 21 at 11:06
And of coursecd "./directory with space/foo"takes care of whitespace in any shell.
– Carl Witthoft
Feb 21 at 12:29
1
1
“cd with space are two different strings given as arguments to cd (…) and of course it will result in an error” …not necessarily if you’re using Zsh. blog.confirm.ch/zsh-tips-changing-directories
– Melebius
Feb 21 at 11:06
“cd with space are two different strings given as arguments to cd (…) and of course it will result in an error” …not necessarily if you’re using Zsh. blog.confirm.ch/zsh-tips-changing-directories
– Melebius
Feb 21 at 11:06
And of course
cd "./directory with space/foo" takes care of whitespace in any shell.– Carl Witthoft
Feb 21 at 12:29
And of course
cd "./directory with space/foo" takes care of whitespace in any shell.– Carl Witthoft
Feb 21 at 12:29
add a comment |
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1
Welcome to Ask Ubuntu! Please edit your question to add the output of the
pwdcommand before and after you executed yourcd.– Melebius
Feb 21 at 10:57