Not all Unix systems are the same. Linux follows a generally accepted "file system standard" that you could go read about. However, the "big, old, commercial Unices" don't necessarily follow that standard. DEC Unix does not, for example.

To see the "root" of all directories, change to it by typing

cd /

That puts you in the directory from which all others follow.

You should see directories when you type "ls". Look for things like /bin, a directory where some executable programs are kept, and /home (or /homea, or /homeb), which are directories where user home directories reside. Most of the executables in /bin are for the "console" no-graphics mode. The graphic executables are in /usr/bin/X11 or /usr/X11/bin, some such place. "X11" refers to the graphical software X11, the X-Windows System. To run graphical applications (apps for short) you need an X-Server on your machine. That's where MIX came in for Windows machines.

A few vital pieces of information.

Where do you go if you type:

cd ..

That takes you "up" one directory level

cd ~/

That takes you to your home directory. ~/ refers to home on all Unices.

cd ./

You just did nothing! The current directory is always "./"

cd ../../

That takes you up two levels in the directory structure. Guess what happens if you do

cd ../../../../../ ?

-- PaulJohnson - 08 Dec 2002