Current directory

• Another thing in the process is the current directory

• This is why you can't write a shell script to change your current directory

        plover% pwd
        /home/mjd

        plover% cat do-cd
        #!/bin/sh
        cd /tmp
        echo "You just moved to `pwd`."

        plover% ./do-cd
        You just moved to /tmp.

        plover% pwd
        /home/mjd

• The pwd command in the script thinks the directory changed

• But the shell disagrees

• Why?

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Copyright © 2002 M. J. Dominus