Why can't I change directories using "cd" in a script?

Question

I'm trying to write a small script to change the current directory to my project directory:

#!/bin/bash
cd /home/tree/projects/java

I saved this file as proj, added execute permission with chmod, and copied it to /usr/bin. When I call it by: proj, it does nothing. What am I doing wrong?

Answer 1

Shell scripts are run inside a subshell, and each subshell has its own concept of what the current directory is. The cd succeeds, but as soon as the subshell exits, you're back in the interactive shell and nothing ever changed there.

One way to get around this is to use an alias instead:

alias proj="cd /home/tree/projects/java"

Answer 2

You're doing nothing wrong! You've changed the directory, but only within the subshell that runs the script.

You can run the script in your current process with the "dot" command:

. proj

But I'd prefer Greg's suggestion to use an alias in this simple case.

Answer 3

The cd in your script technically worked as it changed the directory of the shell that ran the script, but that was a separate process forked from your interactive shell.

A Posix-compatible way to solve this problem is to define a shell procedure rather than a shell-invoked command script.

jhome () {
  cd /home/tree/projects/java
}

You can just type this in or put it in one of the various shell startup files.

Answer 4

The cd is done within the script's shell. When the script ends, that shell exits, and then you are left in the directory you were. "Source" the script, don't run it. Instead of:

./myscript.sh

do

. ./myscript.sh

(Notice the dot and space before the script name.)

Answer 5

To make a bash script that will cd to a select directory :

Create the script file

#!/bin/sh
# file : /scripts/cdjava
#
cd /home/askgelal/projects/java

Then create an alias in your startup file.

#!/bin/sh
# file /scripts/mastercode.sh
#
alias cdjava='. /scripts/cdjava'

---

• I created a startup file where I dump all my aliases and custom functions.
• Then I source this file into my .bashrc to have it set on each boot.

For example, create a master aliases/functions file: /scripts/mastercode.sh
(Put the alias in this file.)

Then at the end of your .bashrc file:

source /scripts/mastercode.sh

---

Now its easy to cd to your java directory, just type cdjava and you are there.

Answer 6

You can use . to execute a script in the current shell environment:

. script_name

or alternatively, its more readable but shell specific alias source:

source script_name

This avoids the subshell, and allows any variables or builtins (including cd) to affect the current shell instead.

Answer 7

Jeremy Ruten's idea of using a symlink triggered a thought that hasn't crossed any other answer. Use:

CDPATH=:$HOME/projects

The leading colon is important; it means that if there is a directory 'dir' in the current directory, then 'cd dir' will change to that, rather than hopping off somewhere else. With the value set as shown, you can do:

cd java

and, if there is no sub-directory called java in the current directory, then it will take you directly to $HOME/projects/java - no aliases, no scripts, no dubious execs or dot commands.

My $HOME is /Users/jleffler; my $CDPATH is:

:/Users/jleffler:/Users/jleffler/mail:/Users/jleffler/src:/Users/jleffler/src/perl:/Users/jleffler/src/sqltools:/Users/jleffler/lib:/Users/jleffler/doc:/Users/jleffler/work

Answer 8

Use exec bash at the end

A bash script operates on its current environment or on that of its children, but never on its parent environment.

However, this question often gets asked because one wants to be left at a (new) bash prompt in a certain directory after execution of a bash script from within another directory.

If this is the case, simply execute a child bash instance at the end of the script:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
cd /home/tree/projects/java
echo -e '\nHit [Ctrl]+[D] to exit this child shell.'
exec bash

To return to the previous, parental bash instance, use Ctrl+D.

Update

At least with newer versions of bash, the exec on the last line is no longer required. Furthermore, the script could be made to work with whatever preferred shell by using the $SHELL environment variable. This then gives:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
cd desired/directory
echo -e '\nHit [Ctrl]+[D] to exit this child shell.'
$SHELL

Answer 9

I got my code to work by using. <your file name>

./<your file name> dose not work because it doesn't change your directory in the terminal it just changes the directory specific to that script.

Here is my program

#!/bin/bash 
echo "Taking you to eclipse's workspace."
cd /Developer/Java/workspace

Here is my terminal

nova:~ Kael$ 
nova:~ Kael$ . workspace.sh
Taking you to eclipe's workspace.
nova:workspace Kael$ 

Answer 10

simply run:

cd /home/xxx/yyy && command_you_want

Answer 11

When you fire a shell script, it runs a new instance of that shell (/bin/bash). Thus, your script just fires up a shell, changes the directory and exits. Put another way, cd (and other such commands) within a shell script do not affect nor have access to the shell from which they were launched.

Answer 12

On my particular case i needed too many times to change for the same directory. So on my .bashrc (I use ubuntu) i've added the

1 -

$ nano ~./bashrc

 function switchp
 {
    cd /home/tree/projects/$1
 }

2-

$ source ~/.bashrc

3 -

$ switchp java

Directly it will do: cd /home/tree/projects/java

Hope that helps!

Answer 13

You can do following:

#!/bin/bash
cd /your/project/directory
# start another shell and replacing the current
exec /bin/bash

EDIT: This could be 'dotted' as well, to prevent creation of subsequent shells.

Example:

. ./previous_script  (with or without the first line)

Answer 14

It only changes the directory for the script itself, while your current directory stays the same.

You might want to use a symbolic link instead. It allows you to make a "shortcut" to a file or directory, so you'd only have to type something like cd my-project.

Answer 15

You can combine an alias and a script,

alias proj="cd \`/usr/bin/proj !*\`"

provided that the script echos the destination path. Note that those are backticks surrounding the script name. 

For example, your script could be

#!/bin/bash
echo /home/askgelal/projects/java/$1

The advantage with this technique is that the script could take any number of command line parameters and emit different destinations calculated by possibly complex logic.

Answer 16

You can combine Adam & Greg's alias and dot approaches to make something that can be more dynamic—

alias project=". project"

Now running the project alias will execute the project script in the current shell as opposed to the subshell.

Answer 17

to navigate directories quicky, there's $CDPATH, cdargs, and ways to generate aliases automatically

http://jackndempsey.blogspot.com/2008/07/cdargs.html

http://muness.blogspot.com/2008/06/lazy-bash-cd-aliaes.html

https://web.archive.org/web/1/http://articles.techrepublic%2ecom%2ecom/5100-10878_11-5827311.html

Answer 18

In your ~/.bash_profile file. add the next function

move_me() {
    cd ~/path/to/dest
}

Restart terminal and you can type

move_me 

and you will be moved to the destination folder.

Answer 19

You can use the operator && :

cd myDirectory && ls

Answer 20

While sourcing the script you want to run is one solution, you should be aware that this script then can directly modify the environment of your current shell. Also it is not possible to pass arguments anymore.

Another way to do, is to implement your script as a function in bash.

function cdbm() {
  cd whereever_you_want_to_go
  echo "Arguments to the functions were $1, $2, ..."
}

This technique is used by autojump: http://github.com/joelthelion/autojump/wiki to provide you with learning shell directory bookmarks.

Answer 21

You can create a function like below in your .bash_profile and it will work smoothly.

The following function takes an optional parameter which is a project. For example, you can just run

cdproj

or

cdproj project_name

Here is the function definition.

cdproj(){
    dir=/Users/yourname/projects
    if [ "$1" ]; then
      cd "${dir}/${1}"
    else
      cd "${dir}"
    fi
}

Dont forget to source your .bash_profile

Answer 22

This should do what you want. Change to the directory of interest (from within the script), and then spawn a new bash shell.

#!/bin/bash

# saved as mov_dir.sh
cd ~/mt/v3/rt_linux-rt-tools/
bash

If you run this, it will take you to the directory of interest and when you exit it it will bring you back to the original place.

root@intel-corei7-64:~# ./mov_dir.sh

root@intel-corei7-64:~/mt/v3/rt_linux-rt-tools# exit
root@intel-corei7-64:~#

This will even take you to back to your original directory when you exit (CTRL+d)

Answer 23

I did the following:

create a file called case

paste the following in the file:

#!/bin/sh

cd /home/"$1"

save it and then:

chmod +x case

I also created an alias in my .bashrc:

alias disk='cd /home/; . case'

now when I type:

case 12345

essentially I am typing:

cd /home/12345

You can type any folder after 'case':

case 12

case 15

case 17

which is like typing:

cd /home/12

cd /home/15

cd /home/17

respectively

In my case the path is much longer - these guys summed it up with the ~ info earlier.

Answer 24

As explained on the other answers, you have changed the directory, but only within the sub-shell that runs the script. this does not impact the parent shell.

One solution is to use bash functions instead of a bash script (sh); by placing your bash script code into a function. That makes the function available as a command and then, this will be executed without a child process and thus any cd command will impact the caller shell.

Bash functions :

One feature of the bash profile is to store custom functions that can be run in the terminal or in bash scripts the same way you run application/commands this also could be used as a shortcut for long commands.

To make your function efficient system widely you will need to copy your function at the end of several files

/home/user/.bashrc
/home/user/.bash_profile
/root/.bashrc
/root/.bash_profile

You can sudo kwrite /home/user/.bashrc /home/user/.bash_profile /root/.bashrc /root/.bash_profile to edit/create those files quickly

Howto :

Copy your bash script code inside a new function at the end of your bash's profile file and restart your terminal, you can then run cdd or whatever the function you wrote.

Script Example

Making shortcut to cd .. with cdd

cdd() {
  cd ..
}

ls shortcut

ll() {
  ls -l -h
}

ls shortcut

lll() {
  ls -l -h -a
}

Answer 25

If you are using fish as your shell, the best solution is to create a function. As an example, given the original question, you could copy the 4 lines below and paste them into your fish command line:

function proj
   cd /home/tree/projects/java
end
funcsave proj

This will create the function and save it for use later. If your project changes, just repeat the process using the new path.

If you prefer, you can manually add the function file by doing the following:

nano ~/.config/fish/functions/proj.fish

and enter the text:

function proj
   cd /home/tree/projects/java
end

and finally press ctrl+x to exit and y followed by return to save your changes.

(NOTE: the first method of using funcsave creates the proj.fish file for you).

Answer 26

I have a simple bash script called p to manage directory changing on
github.com/godzilla/bash-stuff
just put the script in your local bin directory (/usr/local/bin)
and put

alias p='. p'

in your .bashrc

Answer 27

You need no script, only set the correct option and create an environment variable.

shopt -s cdable_vars

in your ~/.bashrc allows to cd to the content of environment variables.

Create such an environment variable:

export myjava="/home/tree/projects/java"

and you can use:

cd myjava

Other alternatives.

Answer 28

Note the discussion How do I set the working directory of the parent process?

It contains some hackish answers, e.g. https://stackoverflow.com/a/2375174/755804 (changing the parent process directory via gdb, don't do this) and https://stackoverflow.com/a/51985735/755804 (the command tailcd that injects cd dirname to the input stream of the parent process; well, ideally it should be a part of bash rather than a hack)

Answer 29

It is an old question, but I am really surprised I don't see this trick here

Instead of using cd you can use

export PWD=the/path/you/want

No need to create subshells or use aliases.

Note that it is your responsibility to make sure the/path/you/want exists.

Answer 30

I have to work in tcsh, and I know this is not an elegant solution, but for example, if I had to change folders to a path where one word is different, the whole thing can be done in the alias

a alias_name 'set a = `pwd`; set b = `echo $a | replace "Trees" "Tests"` ; cd $b'

If the path is always fixed, the just

a alias_name2 'cd path/you/always/need'

should work In the line above, the new folder path is set

Answer 31

This combines the answer by Serge with an unrelated answer by David. It changes the directory, and then instead of forcing a bash shell, it launches the user's default shell. It however requires both getent and /etc/passwd to detect the default shell.

#!/usr/bin/env bash
cd desired/directory
USER_SHELL=$(getent passwd <USER> | cut -d : -f 7)
$USER_SHELL

Of course this still has the same deficiency of creating a nested shell.

Answer 32

You can execute some lines in the same subshell if you end lines with backslash.

cd somedir; \
pwd