Describe what file paths are and how to use them

[jbeadling]

Ticket: Describe What File Paths Are and How to Use Them

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Summary

Learn the fundamentals of file paths in a Unix-like operating system and how to correctly navigate and specify them in various commands.

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Description

• Objective: Understand file paths' concept, structure, and how they navigate the filesystem and specify locations for various operations.

• Scope:

  • Types of file paths (Absolute vs. Relative)
  • Navigating file paths using commands like cd, ls, and more
  • Common symbols (~, ., .., /)
  • Best practices and potential pitfalls

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Learning Tasks

1. Types of File Paths:

   • Learn about absolute and relative paths and when to use each.

2. Navigating File Paths:

   • Get hands-on experience with navigating directories using cd and inspecting them using ls.

3. Common Symbols:

   • Understand the meaning of symbols like ~ for the home directory,. ` for the current directory, and..` for the parent directory.

4. Best Practices and Pitfalls:

   • Familiarize yourself with common best practices for specifying file paths and potential mistakes to avoid.

5. Hands-on Practice:

   • Exercise 1: Navigate to your home directory using an absolute and a relative path.
   • Exercise 2: Use .. and `` to move around directories.
   • Exercise 3: Create a directory and navigate it using a relative path.
   • Exercise 4: Use a full path to copy a file from one directory to another.

6. Troubleshooting:

   • Learn to resolve common issues related to file paths, such as "No such file or directory."

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Learning Goals

• Be able to navigate the filesystem using file paths confidently.
• Understand the difference between absolute and relative paths and when to use each.
• Gain proficiency in using common symbols for specifying paths.

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Priority

• Medium

[jbeadling]

Absolute paths is a specific path to a file or directory from the root directory of the file system. An example would /home/user1/reports.

Relative paths specify a location of a file in relation to your current working directory. An example would be your in your home directory and you go into one of the directories inside which simple be cd documents which takes you into the documents directory in your home directory, if you wanted to go into a directory nested in documents then you would type cd documents/reports

/ is the root of any unix file structure, so cd / will put you at the root level.

To instantly move to your home directory, you can just type cd ~, the ~ indicates your home directory. You can also just type cd and hit enter, you'll go to your home directory

To move to the current directory's parent directory you can use cd ... Think of it as going back one in the directory structure.

Below is screenshot of me going through the exercises