[SOLVED] navigate through folders using shell script

Issue

I am new to shell scripting. I have saved the script file as script_hdl in my home directory. From my home directory, I want to navigate using the script in the following order: cd ../../site/edu/ess/project/user/rark444

and then open a new tab from this new location in the terminal.

I used this as my script:

#!/bin/bash
alias script_hdl="cd ../../site/edu/ess/project/user/rark444"

I run the script like this

./script_hdl

But I don't see any response in the terminal. I feel I am missing something but I don't know what is it. Thanks in advance for your help.

Solution

You have two ways to change directory here.

Script

The first one is to write a script, in such a way that you can run other command after cd. It works without the alias command: let's say you remove it.

cd command is proper to the running process. When you execute your script, the following happen:

1. your shell spawns (forks as) a new shell process executing your code. The main process wait for its child to finish;
2. this new child process actually does change its own working directory with your cd command, then quits (it's over)
3. the original shell process stops waiting and prints the prompt again. But this process has not changed directory (only the child process did)

To perform what you want, (remove the alias command, then) call your script as follows:

source script_hdl

or with following shortcut:

. script_hdl

meaning that you want the instructions to run in the same shell process.

Alias

The second way to change directory is to use an alias. But you should not write your alias definition in a random script file, add it in your ~/.bashrc instead (this file is run each time you open a shell). So:

alias script_hdl="cd ../../site/edu/ess/project/user/rark444"

to reload ~/.bashrc:

. ~/.bashrc

And then don't try to execute from the file, just launch your alias as if it was a normal command:

script_hdl

Answered By - Qeole

Answer Checked By - David Goodson (WPSolving Volunteer)