Pushd and Popd

Mastering the Directory Stack

Tired of using cd and ls to switch back and forth between a few directories? You might have used pushd and popd to help you.

The Basics

• pushd: Pushes a directory onto the stack and navigates to it.
• popd: Pops the top directory off the stack and navigates to the new top.
• dirs: Echoes the current stack.

Cycling Through the Stack

The stack isn’t just for pushing and popping. You can also cycle through it, moving directories around to suit your workflow.

Moving to a Specific Stack Position

$ pushd +n

This command rotates the stack, bringing the nth directory to the top and switching to it. Here, n is the index in the stack (starting at 0).

Example

~$ dirs
~ ~/project ~/downloads
~$ pushd +2
~/downloads ~ ~/project
~/downloads$

This would bring /home/user/downloads to the top and switch to that directory.

Rotating the Stack

Using pushd with no arguments swaps the top two directories:

$ pushd

Pro Tips

• dirs -v prints the stack with index numbers, making it easier to use pushd +n.
• Combine pushd, popd, and dirs in scripts to handle directory changes more elegantly.
• Remember that pushd and popd affect the stack globally in your shell session. Changes in one part of a script can affect another unless managed carefully.

Conclusion

Understanding how to manipulate the directory stack with pushd and popd allows for sophisticated and efficient navigation in the terminal. By mastering these commands, you gain a powerful tool to quickly access a wide range of directories, making you more effective in your command-line endeavors. Just be cautious not to lose your way in the stack — it’s easy to push too much onto your plate, so to speak!