Changing to your home directory in Unix shells Which command returns the current shell to the user's home directory using the standard POSIX behavior?

Introduction / Context:
Navigating directories is a daily task in Unix/Linux. Returning quickly to your home directory saves time. The POSIX standard defines a simple way to do this that works across Bourne-like shells (sh, bash, ksh, dash).

Given Data / Assumptions:

• We are in a POSIX-compatible shell.
• HOME environment variable is set to the user's home path.
• No shell options have altered the default cd behavior.

Concept / Approach:

Running cd with no arguments changes the current directory to $HOME. This is standardized, portable, and works consistently. Alternative shortcuts like cd ~ also work in many shells due to tilde expansion, but the canonical minimal form is bare cd.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

Try cd ~ as an alternative in bash/ksh/zsh; it should produce the same result. Using cd - will toggle back to the previous directory if needed.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• cd..: invalid; correct usage is cd .. (with space) to go up one level, not to home.
• cd/: goes to the filesystem root /, not the home directory.
• cd HOME.: not valid syntax; HOME is an environment variable and would require expansion like cd "$HOME".
• None of the above: incorrect because cd is correct.

Common Pitfalls:

Confusing root directory with home; forgetting quotes when $HOME contains spaces; assuming cd.. (DOS style) works on Unix shells.

Final Answer:

cd