What does the dirs command do?

The dirs command displays the directory stack, showing all directories that have been pushed onto the stack using the pushd command.

How do I use the directory stack?

Use 'pushd directory' to add directories to the stack, 'dirs' to view the stack, and 'popd' to remove and change to directories from the stack.

What's the difference between dirs and pwd?

pwd shows only the current directory, while dirs shows the entire directory stack including all pushed directories.

dirs Command

The dirs command displays the directory stack, which is a list of directories maintained by the shell. It works with pushd and popd commands for efficient directory navigation.

Syntax

dirs [+N | -N] [-clpv]

Description

The dirs command displays the list of currently remembered directories. Directories are added to the list with the pushd command and removed with the popd command. The current directory is always at the top of the stack.

Key features:

Displays the directory stack
Shows numbered directory positions
Works with pushd and popd
Supports various display formats
Built-in shell command

Common Options

Option	Description
`+N`	Display the Nth directory (counting from left, starting with 0)
`-N`	Display the Nth directory (counting from right, starting with 0)
`-c`	Clear the directory stack
`-l`	List directories with full pathnames
`-p`	Print directories one per line
`-v`	Print directories with their stack positions

Examples

Display directory stack

dirs

Shows all directories in the stack

Display with full pathnames

dirs -l

Shows directories with complete paths (no ~ expansion)

Display one directory per line

dirs -p

Lists each directory on a separate line

Display with position numbers

dirs -v

Shows directories with their stack position numbers

Display specific directory by position

dirs +1

Shows the directory at position 1 (second from left)

Display directory from right

dirs -0

Shows the rightmost directory (last in stack)

Clear directory stack

dirs -c

Removes all directories from the stack except current

Complete directory stack workflow

                        # Start in home directory
                        pwd
                        /home/user
                        
                        # Push some directories
                        pushd /var/log
                        pushd /etc
                        pushd /tmp
                        
                        # Display the stack
                        dirs
                        /tmp /etc /var/log /home/user
                        
                        # Display with positions
                        dirs -v
                         0  /tmp
                         1  /etc
                         2  /var/log
                         3  /home/user
                        
                        # Display one per line
                        dirs -p
                        /tmp
                        /etc
                        /var/log
                        /home/user
                    

Complete example showing directory stack operations

Working with pushd and popd

                        # Push directories onto stack
                        pushd /usr/local
                        pushd /opt
                        
                        # View stack
                        dirs
                        /opt /usr/local /home/user
                        
                        # Pop back to previous directory
                        popd
                        /usr/local /home/user
                        
                        # View updated stack
                        dirs
                        /usr/local /home/user
                    

Example of using dirs with pushd and popd

Directory Stack Concepts

Stack Structure: Last In, First Out (LIFO) data structure
Position 0: Always the current directory (top of stack)
Left to Right: Position 0, 1, 2, 3... (newest to oldest)
Right to Left: Position -0, -1, -2, -3... (oldest to newest)
Persistence: Stack persists within the shell session

Common Use Cases

Project Navigation: Quickly switch between project directories
System Administration: Navigate between configuration directories
Development: Switch between source, build, and test directories
File Management: Remember frequently accessed locations
Backup Operations: Track multiple backup locations