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<H2><A NAME="Directories"></A> <A NAME="s5">5. Using Directories </A></H2>
<P>
<P>
<H2><A NAME="ss5.1">5.1 Directories: Preliminary Notions</A>
</H2>
<P>
<P>We have seen the differences between files under DOS/Win and Linux. As for
directories, under DOS/Win the root directory is <CODE>\</CODE>, under Linux
it is <CODE>/</CODE>. Similarly, nested directories are separated by <CODE>\</CODE>
under DOS/Win, by <CODE>/</CODE> under Linux. Example of file paths:
<P>
<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
<PRE>
DOS: C:\PAPERS\GEOLOGY\MID_EOC.TEX
Linux: /home/guido/papers/geology/middle_eocene.tex
</PRE>
</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>As usual, <CODE>..</CODE> is the parent directory and <CODE>.</CODE> is the current
directory. Remember that the system won't let you <CODE>cd</CODE>, <CODE>rd</CODE>,
or <CODE>md</CODE> 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 <CODE>/home/guido</CODE>.
<P>
<P>
<H2><A NAME="Directories Permissions"></A> <A NAME="ss5.2">5.2 Directories Permissions </A>
</H2>
<P>
<P>Directories, too, have permissions. What we have seen in Section
<A HREF="DOS-Win-to-Linux-HOWTO-4.html#Permissions">Permissions and Ownership</A> applies to directories as
well (user, group, and other). For a directory, <CODE>rx</CODE> means you can
<CODE>cd</CODE> to that directory, and <CODE>w</CODE> means that you can delete a
file in the directory (according to the file's permissions, of course), or
the directory itself.
<P>For example, to prevent other users from snooping in
<CODE>/home/guido/text</CODE>:
<P>
<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
<PRE>
$ chmod o-rwx /home/guido/text
</PRE>
</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<P>
<H2><A NAME="Directories: Trans"></A> <A NAME="ss5.3">5.3 Directories: Translating Commands </A>
</H2>
<P>
<P>
<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
<PRE>
DIR: ls, find, du
CD: cd, pwd
MD: mkdir
RD: rmdir
DELTREE: rm -rf
MOVE: mv
</PRE>
</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<H3>Examples</H3>
<P>
<P>
<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
<PRE>
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
</PRE>
</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>Notes:
<P>
<UL>
<LI> when using <CODE>rmdir</CODE>, the directory to remove must be empty. To
delete a directory and all of its contents, use <CODE>rm -rf</CODE> (at your own
risk).
</LI>
<LI> the character `<CODE>~</CODE>' is a shortcut for the name of your
home directory. The commands <CODE>cd</CODE> or <CODE>cd ~</CODE> will take you to
your home directory from wherever you are; the command <CODE>cd ~/tmp</CODE>
will take you to <CODE>/home/your_home/tmp</CODE>.
</LI>
<LI> <CODE>cd -</CODE> ``undoes'' the last <CODE>cd</CODE>.
</LI>
</UL>
<P>
<P>
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