How to change directory in the Linux command line?
Jul 22, 2025 am 01:57 AMTo switch directories in the Linux command line, the most common method is to use the cd command; 1. Use cd plus path to switch directories, such as cd /home/user/Documents or cd Downloads; 2. Use cd ~ or directly cd to return to the home directory; 3. Use cd - to switch back to the previous directory; 4. Use Tab key to automatically complete the path; 5. Use backslashes or quotes to process directory names containing spaces and special characters, such as cd My\ Files or cd "My Files".
To switch directories in the Linux command line, the most common method is to use the cd
command. It is simple but powerful, and mastering the usage can greatly improve efficiency.

Use the cd
command to switch directories
cd
(change directory) command is the most basic directory switching method. You just need to add the path to the target directory after the command:
-
If you want to enter the
/home/user/Documents
directory, enter:cd /home/user/Documents
If you want to enter a subdirectory in the current directory, for example, currently in
/home/user
, and want to enter theDownloads
folder, you can write it directly:cd Downloads
Pay attention to whether the path is correct. If the path is wrongly spelled or the directory does not exist, it will prompt No such file or directory
.

Tips for quickly switching common directories
Some paths are too long and it is troublesome to enter each time. You can simplify the operation in the following ways:
Use
~
Back to Home Directory
No matter where you are now, enter:cd ~
You can immediately return to the current user's home directory. You can even enter
cd
directly more simply, and the same effect can be achieved without adding parameters.Use
-
Switch back to the previous directory
If you just switched from/var/log
to/etc/nginx
and now want to go back, you can enter:cd -
This trick is especially suitable for switching back and forth between two directories.
Use Tab to complete the path
After entering a part of the path, press theTab
key, and the system will automatically complete the remaining content. For example, if you entercd Doc
and pressTab
, if there is a unique match in the current directory (such asDocuments
), the system will automatically complete it tocd Documents
.
Handle special characters and spaces
Sometimes directory names contain spaces or special characters (such as brackets, quotes, etc.), so you need to pay attention to this time:
Use backslashes to escape spaces
For example, there is a directory calledMy Files
, you can enter this way:cd My\ Files
Wrap the path in quotes
Similarly, it can also be written as:cd "My Files"
This method is also applicable to Chinese directories, so you don’t have to worry about garbled code.
Basically that's it. Although the cd
command seems simple, it is very critical in daily use, especially some shortcuts and methods of handling special paths, which are easy to ignore but are very useful.
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