Navigating the File System

File system navigation is commonly one of the first lessons taught in Unix, not only because of the reasons that were just discussed, but simply because it helps to know where you are and where you are going in order to get to your destination. It's like planning a trip—you don't just walk out, hop in the car, and go; there should be some planning involved, especially based on the complexity of the trip you are about to take. In Unix, knowing what commands to use is your preparation and plan, and once mastered, it will have you working on data files, editing web pages, and so on.

The most basic commands for dealing with the Unix file system are the ones for moving between directories and finding out what files are in them.