File System Navigation

Introduction

The Linux file system is organized as a hierarchical tree structure, starting from the root directory /. Understanding how to navigate this structure is fundamental to working with Linux.

Key Commands

pwd - Print Working Directory

Shows your current location in the file system:

$ pwd
/home/learner

ls - List Directory Contents

Lists files and directories:

$ ls           # Basic listing
$ ls -l        # Long format with details
$ ls -la       # Include hidden files (starting with .)
$ ls -lh       # Human-readable file sizes

cd - Change Directory

Navigate to different directories:

$ cd /var/log        # Absolute path (starts with /)
$ cd projects        # Relative path (from current directory)
$ cd ..              # Go up one level
$ cd ~               # Go to home directory
$ cd -               # Go to previous directory

mkdir - Make Directory

Create new directories:

$ mkdir myproject              # Create single directory
$ mkdir -p parent/child/grand  # Create nested directories

File System Structure

/                    # Root directory
├── home/            # User home directories
│   └── learner/     # Your home directory
├── etc/             # System configuration files
├── var/             # Variable data (logs, etc.)
├── usr/             # User programs
└── tmp/             # Temporary files

Your Task

Create a project structure for a web application:

1. Navigate to your home directory
2. Create a projects directory
3. Inside projects, create a webapp directory
4. Create a README.md file inside webapp

Your final structure should look like:

/home/learner/
└── projects/
    └── webapp/
        └── README.md

Launch Your Sandbox

Copy the command below to start this exercise: