pwd (print working directory) in Linux CLI - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

💻 Command Output

intermediate

What is the output of the pwd command?

You run the pwd command in your terminal. What does it show?

Linux CLI

pwd

A /home/username

B username@hostname:~$

C ls -l

D No such file or directory

💡 Hint

Think about what 'pwd' stands for and what it shows you in your terminal.

The pwd command prints the full path of the current directory you are in. It does not show the prompt, list files, or error unless the directory doesn't exist.

💻 Command Output

intermediate

What happens if you run pwd after changing directories?

You run these commands in order:
cd /var/log
pwd
What is the output of the second command?

Linux CLI

cd /var/log
pwd

A /var/log

B /home/username

C cd: /var/log: No such file or directory

D /var

💡 Hint

The cd command changes your directory, and pwd shows where you are now.

After changing directory to /var/log, running pwd shows the new current directory path.

📝 Syntax

advanced

Which command correctly prints the current directory?

Choose the correct command that prints the current working directory.

A print working directory

B pwd()

C pwd

D show pwd

💡 Hint

The command is a simple shell command without parentheses or extra words.

The pwd command is a standard shell command. Adding parentheses or extra words causes errors or is invalid.

🔧 Debug

advanced

What error occurs if you run pwd in a deleted directory?

You are inside a directory, then from another terminal, that directory is deleted. Now you run pwd. What happens?

Linux CLI

pwd

A Command not found

B /home/username

C Permission denied

D pwd: error retrieving current directory: No such file or directory

💡 Hint

Think about what happens if your current directory no longer exists.

If the directory you are in is deleted, pwd cannot find it and shows an error message.

🚀 Application

expert

How to use pwd output in a script to create a backup folder?

You want to create a backup folder named 'backup' inside your current directory using a shell script. Which command correctly uses pwd output to do this?

A mkdir pwd/backup

B mkdir "$(pwd)/backup"

C mkdir $pwd/backup

D mkdir `pwd/backup`

💡 Hint

Use command substitution syntax to get the output of pwd.

To use the output of pwd inside a command, you must use $(pwd) or backticks. The other options misuse the syntax.