A really quick and simple tip: cd - takes you back to the last directory you were in.
Here’s an example:
$ pwd /home/kae $ cd /var/log $ pwd /var/log $ cd - /home/kae $ pwd /home/kae $]
Slightly more involved are the pushd and popd commands. These allow you to create a “stack” of directories with pushd, and to return to the previous level with popd:
$ pwd /home/kae $ pushd /usr/bin /usr/bin ~ $ pwd /usr/bin $ pushd /etc /etc /usr/bin ~ $ pwd /etc $ popd /usr/bin ~ $ pwd /usr/bin $ popd ~ $ pwd /home/kae $ popd bash: popd: directory stack empty $
Although pushd and popd are more powerful than a simple cd -, in reality they’re more complex than most people need.
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