Script to change current directory (cd, pwd)

Question

I want to run a script to simply change the current working directory:

#!/bin/bash
cd web/www/project

But, after I run it, the current pwd remains unchanged! How can I do that?

Answer 1

It is an expected behavior, and already discussed several times.

The script is run in a subshell, and cannot change the parent shell working directory. Its effects are lost when it finishes.

To change directory permanently you should source the script, as in

. ./script

Answer 2

For small tasks such as this, instead of creating script, create an alias like this,

$ alias cdproj='cd /dir/web/www/proj'

You should add this to your .bashrc file, if you want it set for every interactive shell.

Now you can run this as $ cdproj.

Answer 3

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 the bash prompt in a certain directory after the execution of a bash script from another directory.

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

#!/usr/bin/env bash
cd desired/directory
exec bash

This creates a new subshell. Type exit to return to the first shell where the script was initially started.

Answer 4

While there are answers that do the exact action that you want, a more standard method for such purpose is to create symbolic link:

ln -s ~/web/www/project proj   #use full path to dir!

Then you could cd to the directory using the name proj:

cd proj

This method is more flexible because you could access files using the short name without cd:

ls proj/   #note the endslash!
vim proj/file.x

Answer 5

If you change between directories far away in the filesystem. I will recommend autojump.

Answer 6

Depends on what you're going to do, another solution can be creating a function instead of a script.

Example:

Create a function in a file, let's say /home/aidin/my-cd-script:

function my-cd() {
  cd /to/my/path
}

Then include it in your bashrc or zshrc file:

# Somewhere in rc file
source /home/aidin/my-cd-script

Now you can use it like a command:

$ my-cd

Answer 7

Why not use "exec" it seams to do exactly what I wish.

#!/bin/bash

cd someplace
exec bash

~/someplace

Answer 8

You can do that using a function or using && The examples bellow installs Zabbix and creates a file with a line inside it.

Ex:

#!/bin/bash

# Create Function:
installZabbix(){
    cd /usr/src/zabbix-4.2.4;
    ./configure --enable-agent;
    make install;
    cd /usr/src/;
    >file;
    echo "Hi, this is a file." >>file;
}

# Call the function:
installZabbix

or:

#!/bin/bash
cd /usr/src/zabbix-4.2.4 && ./configure --enable-agent && make install && cd /usr/src && >file && echo "Hi, this is a file." >>file