Commands · Command
cd
cd [path]Changes the current working directory in the shell — one of the few commands with meaningfully different behavior across platforms despite the identical name.
// PLATFORM NOTES
Windows
`cd` alone (no drive letter) does NOT switch drives — use `cd /d` (e.g. `cd /d D:\Projects`), or run the drive letter as its own command first.
Linux
shell builtin (not a standalone program on disk); `cd -` returns to the previous directory, `cd` alone goes home.
macOS
same shell-builtin behavior as Linux (bash/zsh).
// FLAGS
/dWindows only: switch drives along with the directory-Linux/macOS only: shorthand for "the previous directory"// EXAMPLE
cd .. — moves up one directory level, identical on every platform.
// GOTCHA
On Windows CMD, cd alone does NOT change drives — you need cd /d or a separate drive-letter command first; this is the single most common cd confusion for people used to Linux/macOS.
// RELATED COMMANDS