User Defined Commands in Linux

ebasika · 05-08-2014, 07:33 PM

Hi! Can you please help with creating user defined commands. For example I need to get to a subdirectory $home/dev/server/tra/app/logs by just typing a user defined command ie logs . Thank you.

TobiSGD · 05-08-2014, 07:46 PM

Hello and welcome to LQ.
What you describe is in Linux called an alias. For your example you would type[code]alias logs="cd $home/dev/server/tra/app/logs" on the cxommandline. Now every time you launch the command logs you will be automatically taken to the directory you specified in the alias command. If you want to have this persistent, so that you don't have to define it every time you launch a command line, add the command to your ~/.bashrc file (or its counterpart if you use a different shell than Bash).

Emerson · 05-08-2014, 08:00 PM

There are many ways to skin this cat, a little script will do it, too.

ebasika · 05-08-2014, 08:18 PM

Awesome. Thanks for your swift reply.

frankbell · 05-08-2014, 09:15 PM

Here's a nice reference on creating an alias: http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infoce..._cmd_alias.htm

A web search for "create alias linux" will turn up many more useful links.

Tadaen · 05-09-2014, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emerson

There are many ways to skin this cat, a little script will do it, too.

+1 for a script as well. Scripts are easier to keep track of.

rknichols · 05-09-2014, 09:36 AM

An alias or a shell function can change the working directory of the current shell. A script invoked in the normal way runs in a subshell and cannot do a cd for the parent shell. You would have to remember to source the script to do that, or else continue running interactively in that subshell and remember to type "exit" to get back to your original shell.