Navigating the Filesystem

pwd ("print working directory") shows where you currently are. ls lists what's in the current folder. cd changes directory.

Example: a short session

$ pwd
$ ls -la
$ cd Documents
$ pwd

The -la flags on ls are worth knowing separately: -l switches to a detailed "long" listing (one file per line, with permissions and size, you'll see this format again in the Permissions lesson), and -a includes hidden files (anything starting with a dot, like .gitignore, normally hidden from a plain ls). cd .. goes up one level from wherever you are; cd ~ jumps straight to your home folder no matter how deep you've navigated.