I’ve just started my Linux journey earlier this year. As a goal to learn how to self-host applications and services that will allow me to take back some control of my data. Immich instead of Google Photos, for example.
I have a local server running Unraid and 22 docker containers now. And then a VPS (Ubuntu 20.04 LTS) running two apps. I’ve learned a ton but one thing I can’t seem to wrap my brain around is navigation through the file structure using only terminal. My crutch has been to open a SFTP session in Cyberduck to the same device I’m SSH’d to and try to figure things out that way. I know enough to change directories, make directories, using Tree to show the file structure at different levels of depth. But I feel like I’m missing some efficient way to find my way to files and folders I need to get to. Or are y’all just memorizing it and know where everything is by now?
I come from a Windows background and even then I sometimes catch myself checking via explorer where a directory is instead of using CMD or PowerShell to find it.
I’d love to hear any tips or tricks!
I did 4 things, that helped me a lot:
alias cem=’cd /home/drops/.config/emacs’
alias. .=’cd. . && ls’
Three points for two levels up, etc…
Name all directories lowercase, 3-5 letters long, and try to avoid directories with the same starting letter as siblings That way you can use tab completion with just a single letter
Use the option to jump to subdirectories of /home/user from everywhere.
Instead of aliases, I use variables that I set in my .bashrc.
For example, on WSL I have
export WINDOWS_HOME=/mnt/c/Users/username. Then I can justcd $WINDOWS_HOME. Orcp $WINDOWS_HOME/Downloads/some_file .Instead of aliases, I just have lots of symlinks in my homedir.
I do have
..and...aliases though.Mostly if I’m gonna work with files I just use
ranger, or FZF from my shell to find stuff.Ranger looks like how my brain wants to work. I’ll have to check that out. I like the idea of symlinks too.