Relative Path Names

The full path name of a directory or a file begins with a slash (/) and describes the entire directory structure between that file (or directory) and the root directory. However, you can often use a shorter name that defines the file or directory relative to the current working directory.

When you are in a parent directory, you can move to a subdirectory by using only the directory name and not the full path name. In the previous example, the command cd veggies uses the relative path name of the directory veggies. If the current working directory is /home/user2, the full path name of this directory is /home/user2/veggies.

Create several different subdirectories, and then move around within this directory structure. Use both full path names and relative path names, and confirm your location with the pwd command.