Novell LINUX ENTERPRISE SERVER 10 - INSTALLATION AND ADMINISTRATION 11-05-2007 Installation Manual page 355

17.1.3 Working with Directories and Files
To address a certain file or directory, you must specify the path leading to that directory
or file. There are two ways to specify a path:
• The entire (absolute) path from the root directory to the respective file
• A path starting from the current directory (relative path)
Absolute paths always start with a slash. Relative paths do not have a slash at the begin-
ning.
NOTE: Linux Is Case-Sensitive
Linux distinguishes between uppercase and lowercase in the file system. For
example, entering test.txt or Test.txt makes a difference in Linux. Keep
this in mind when entering filenames or paths.
To change directories, use the cd command.
• To switch to your home directory, enter cd.
• Refer to the current directory with a dot (.). This is mainly useful for other com-
mands (cp, mv, ...).
• The next higher level in the tree is represented by two dots (..). For example, to
switch to the parent directory of your current directory, enter cd ...
Examples of Addressing a File
The cd commands in
used relative paths. You can use also absolute paths. For example, suppose you want
to copy a file from your home directory to a subdirectory of /tmp:
1 First, from your home directory create a subdirectory in /tmp:
1a If your current directory is not your home directory, enter cd ~ to switch
to it. From anywhere in the file system, you can reach your home directory
by entering cd ~.
Section 17.1.3, "Working with Directories and Files" (page 337)
Working with the Shell 337