pwd (print working directory) in Linux CLI - Interactive Code Practice

Practice - 5 Tasks

1fill in blank

easy

Complete the code to print the current directory path.

Linux CLI

[1]

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Als

Bmkdir

Ccd

Dpwd

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using 'ls' which lists files instead of showing the current directory.

Using 'cd' which changes directory but does not print it.

The command pwd prints the current working directory path.

2fill in blank

medium

Complete the command to print the current directory path in the terminal.

Linux CLI

echo [1]

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

A$HOME

B$PWD

C$PATH

D$USER

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using $HOME which is your home directory, not necessarily current.

Using $PATH which lists executable search paths.

The environment variable $PWD holds the current working directory path.

3fill in blank

hard

Fix the error in the command to show the current directory path.

Linux CLI

echo [1]

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

A`pwd`

BPWD

Cpwd()

Dpwd

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using D 'pwd' prints the literal string 'pwd' instead of executing it.

Using 'pwd()' which is not valid shell syntax.

Using backticks `pwd` runs the command and prints its output in the shell.

4fill in blank

hard

Fill both blanks to create a command that stores the current directory path in a variable and then prints it.

Linux CLI

current_dir=[1]
echo [2]

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

A`pwd`

B$current_dir

Cpwd

D$PWD

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Assigning the command name without backticks, which stores the string not output.

Printing the variable name without $ which prints the literal text.

Use backticks to assign the output of pwd to a variable, then print the variable with a $ sign.

5fill in blank

hard

Fill all three blanks to create a script that changes directory, prints the new directory path, and then returns to the original directory.

Linux CLI

original_dir=[1]
cd /tmp
echo [2]
cd [3]

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

A`pwd`

Bpwd

C$original_dir

Decho

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Not storing the original directory before changing.

Using 'pwd' without backticks to print the new directory.

Using variable name without $ when returning.

Store the original directory with backticks, print the current directory with echo `pwd`, then return using the variable with $.

Practice

1. What does the pwd command do in a Linux terminal?

easy

A. Lists all files in the current directory

B. Deletes the current directory

C. Changes the current directory

D. Shows the full path of the current directory you are in

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the purpose of pwd

   The pwd command stands for 'print working directory'. It shows the full path of the directory you are currently in.

2. Step 2: Compare with other options

   Options A, C, and D describe other commands like ls, cd, and rm, which do not print the current directory path.

3. Final Answer:

   Shows the full path of the current directory you are in -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   pwd = current directory path [OK]

Hint: Remember: pwd = print working directory path [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing pwd with ls (list files)
• Thinking pwd changes directory
• Assuming pwd deletes files

2. Which of the following is the correct syntax to display the current directory path in Linux?

easy

A. pwd

B. pwd -l

C. printwd

D. showdir

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify the standard command

   The standard command to print the current directory is exactly pwd without any extra letters or options.

2. Step 2: Check other options for validity

   Options B, C, and D are not valid Linux commands for this purpose. pwd -l is not a standard option, and printwd and showdir do not exist.

3. Final Answer:

   pwd -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Correct syntax = pwd [OK]

Hint: Type exactly 'pwd' to print current directory [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Adding wrong options like -l
• Using non-existent commands
• Confusing with print working directory spelled out

3. If you run these commands in order:

cd /usr/local
pwd

What will be the output of pwd?

medium

A. /usr

B. /usr/local

C. /local

D. /home/user

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the cd command effect

   The command cd /usr/local changes the current directory to /usr/local.

2. Step 2: Check what pwd outputs

   After changing directory, pwd prints the full path of the current directory, which is /usr/local.

3. Final Answer:

   /usr/local -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   cd changes directory, pwd shows it [OK]

Hint: pwd shows the directory set by last cd command [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming pwd shows only part of the path
• Confusing directory names
• Thinking pwd shows home directory always

4. You run the command pwd but get an error: command not found. What is the most likely cause?

medium

A. The current directory is empty

B. You are not logged in as root

C. You typed pwd incorrectly or misspelled it

D. The terminal is broken and needs restart

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze the error message

   The error command not found means the shell cannot find the command you typed.

2. Step 2: Identify common causes

   This usually happens if the command is misspelled or typed incorrectly. Being root or directory contents do not affect pwd availability.

3. Final Answer:

   You typed pwd incorrectly or misspelled it -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Misspelling commands causes 'command not found' [OK]

Hint: Check spelling if 'command not found' appears [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming permissions cause 'command not found'
• Thinking empty directory breaks pwd
• Restarting terminal unnecessarily

5. You want to save the current directory path to a file named current_dir.txt (overwriting it if it exists). Which command correctly does this?

hard

A. pwd > current_dir.txt

B. pwd >> current_dir.txt

C. pwd | current_dir.txt

D. pwd current_dir.txt

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand output redirection

   The symbol > redirects the output of a command to a file, overwriting it.

2. Step 2: Apply redirection to pwd

   Using pwd > current_dir.txt writes the current directory path into the file current_dir.txt.

3. Step 3: Check other options

   pwd >> current_dir.txt appends instead of overwriting. Options A and C are invalid syntax.

4. Final Answer:

   pwd > current_dir.txt -> Option A

5. Quick Check:

   Use > to save command output to a file [OK]

Hint: Use > to save output; >> appends output [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using pipe (|) incorrectly to file
• Forgetting > or >> for redirection
• Using command with filename as argument