File System Navigation Flashcards

What does the `..` path component represent in Linux?

Answer: The parent directory

`..` is a special directory entry that always refers to the parent of the current directory.

Which command shows a tree-like view of a directory structure?

Answer: tree

The `tree` command recursively lists directories in a branching visual tree format.

What is the result of running `cd ~username` in bash?

Answer: Changes to the home directory of the specified user

`cd ~username` expands to the home directory of the named user and navigates there.

Which directory typically contains user-installed binary executables on a Linux system?

Answer: /usr/local/bin

`/usr/local/bin` is the conventional location for locally compiled or manually installed binaries.

What flag makes `ls` display file sizes in human-readable format (e.g., KB, MB)?

Answer: -h

The `-h` (human-readable) flag causes `ls -lh` to display sizes in K, M, G units instead of raw bytes.

Which `/proc` entry provides the current working directory of a running process with PID 1234?

Answer: /proc/1234/cwd

`/proc//cwd` is a symbolic link pointing to the process's current working directory.

What does `pushd /tmp` do compared to `cd /tmp`?

Answer: Changes to /tmp and saves the previous directory on a stack

`pushd` saves the current directory onto a stack before changing, allowing `popd` to return to it later.