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"

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.

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.

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.)

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

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.

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

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

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$ 

simply run:

cd /home/xxx/yyy && command_you_want

answered Nov 1, 2008 at 2:09

Daniel SpiewakDaniel Spiewak

55.1k14 gold badges112 silver badges121 bronze badges

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)

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!

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.

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.

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.

answered Aug 19, 2013 at 4:53

You can use the operator && :

cd myDirectory && ls

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

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)

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.

answered Dec 12, 2012 at 16:46

Lane RoatheLane Roathe

5004 silver badges7 bronze badges

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.

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

answered Oct 25, 2020 at 23:49

AsclepiusAsclepius

63.5k19 gold badges186 silver badges156 bronze badges

instead of excute a script file and cd to the certain folder,

we can make it by:

• source or . certain shell script
• alias the cd command
• define a function ant cd to folder

examples:

. script
# or
source script

alias ghqc='cd $(ghq root)/$(ghq list | fzf)'

ghqc() {
  cd $(ghq root)/$1
}