Speedy Directory Switching with CDPATH

Note#123

notes
Published

2023-09-24

CDPATH is an environment variable in Unix-like shells such as Bash and Zsh that allows for quick directory navigation. It holds a list of directories that the cd command will search when you attempt to change directories.

Setting Up CDPATH

To set up CDPATH, add the following export statement to your .bashrc or .zshrc:

export CDPATH=/path/to/projects:/another/path/to/projects

Apply the changes by either sourcing your shell’s configuration file (~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc) or launching a new shell session with commands like exec -l zsh.

Usage Example

Assume CDPATH is set as follows:

export CDPATH=/home/user/projects:/usr/local
  • cd my_app: Takes you to /home/user/projects/my_app, regardless of your current location, if the directory exists.
  • cd etc: Takes you to /usr/local/etc if it exists.