How to change to the previous working directory on the command line on Linux

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How to change to the previous working directory on the command line on Linux

Type in the command below to go to your previous working directory

cd -

or

cd $OLDPWD

Points to remember

  • The “-” is short for previous working directory.
  • The previous working directory is defined by the shell variable $OLDPWD.
  • Everytime you use the cd command it sets the $OLDPWD environment variable.
  • Thus cd $OLDPWD is the same as cd –

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Ian Carnaghan

I am a software developer and online educator who likes to keep up with all the latest in technology. I also manage cloud infrastructure, continuous monitoring, DevOps processes, security, and continuous integration and deployment.

About Author

Ian Carnaghan

I am a software developer and online educator who likes to keep up with all the latest in technology. I also manage cloud infrastructure, continuous monitoring, DevOps processes, security, and continuous integration and deployment.

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