From DOS/Windows to Linux HOWTO : Using Directories

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## 5. Using Directories

## 5.1 Directories: Preliminary Notions

We have seen the differences between files under DOS/Win and Linux. As for directories, under DOS/Win the root directory is `\`, under Linux it is `/`. Similarly, nested directories are separated by `\` under DOS/Win, by `/` under Linux. Example of file paths:

> `

>     DOS:    C:\PAPERS\GEOLOGY\MID_EOC.TEX
>     Linux:  /home/guido/papers/geology/middle_eocene.tex

> `

As usual, `..` is the parent directory and `.` is the current directory. Remember that the system won't let you `cd`, `rd`, or `md` everywhere you want. Each user has his or her stuff in a directory called `home', given by the system administrator; for instance, on my PC my home dir is `/home/guido`.

## 5.2 Directories Permissions

Directories, too, have permissions. What we have seen in Section Permissions and Ownership applies to directories as well (user, group, and other). For a directory, `rx` means you can `cd` to that directory, and `w` means that you can delete a file in the directory (according to the file's permissions, of course), or the directory itself.

For example, to prevent other users from snooping in `/home/guido/text`:

> `

>     $ chmod o-rwx /home/guido/text

> `

## 5.3 Directories: Translating Commands

> `

>     DIR:            ls, find, du
>     CD:             cd, pwd
>     MD:             mkdir
>     RD:             rmdir
>     DELTREE:        rm -rf
>     MOVE:           mv

> `

### Examples

> `

>     DOS                                     Linux
>     ---------------------------------------------------------------------

>     C:\GUIDO>DIR                            $ ls
>     C:\GUIDO>DIR FILE.TXT                   $ ls file.txt
>     C:\GUIDO>DIR *.H *.C                    $ ls *.h *.c
>     C:\GUIDO>DIR/P                          $ ls | more
>     C:\GUIDO>DIR/A                          $ ls -l
>     C:\GUIDO>DIR *.TMP /S                   $ find / -name "*.tmp"
>     C:\GUIDO>CD                             $ pwd
>             n/a - see note                  $ cd
>             ditto                           $ cd ~
>             ditto                           $ cd ~/temp
>     C:\GUIDO>CD \OTHER                      $ cd /other
>     C:\GUIDO>CD ..\TEMP\TRASH               $ cd ../temp/trash
>     C:\GUIDO>MD NEWPROGS                    $ mkdir newprogs
>     C:\GUIDO>MOVE PROG ..                   $ mv prog ..
>     C:\GUIDO>MD \PROGS\TURBO                $ mkdir /progs/turbo
>     C:\GUIDO>DELTREE TEMP\TRASH             $ rm -rf temp/trash
>     C:\GUIDO>RD NEWPROGS                    $ rmdir newprogs
>     C:\GUIDO>RD \PROGS\TURBO                $ rmdir /progs/turbo

> `

Notes:

- when using `rmdir`, the directory to remove must be empty. To delete a directory and all of its contents, use `rm -rf` (at your own risk).
- the character ``~`' is a shortcut for the name of your home directory. The commands `cd` or `cd ~` will take you to your home directory from wherever you are; the command `cd ~/tmp` will take you to `/home/your_home/tmp`.
- `cd -` ``undoes'' the last `cd`.

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