Making custom, single-character directory mappings like ~ > $HOME
We all know that ~ maps to $HOME or /home/user.
Is it possible to make other mappings like this on other characters (@,_)?
A possible workaround I thought of was to use variables (which require at least two characters)...
H=/run/media/user/Storage
cp $H/file.txt .
But is there a better way?
This is possible on a Mac and Linux
On Mac
- /Users/[yourusername]/.bash_profile
Note: You should also be able to use .profile file, but I do not use it. I just use .bash_profile, because it more specific, like .bashrc on linux, rather than .cshrc.
Instructions
Make a directory mapping (set a variable) to the desktop.
-
In Terminal.app, run
nano ~/.bash_profile OR nano $HOME/.bash_profile -
Add the following somewhere in your file.
[nameofvariable]="$HOME/Desktop"(for example, pathtodesktop="$HOME/Desktop")
-
Quit Terminal and restart or run
source ~/.bash_profile
Finished! Your new variable should function just like $HOME or ~, except to whichever path you choose.
In order to test it you could run:
cd $pathtodesktop
On Linux Just follow the same instructions, except the file you want to edit is under $HOME/.bashrc or $HOME/.bash_profile.
Above and Beyond the Question If you have a command that you frequently run, you could create an alias in your .bash_profile as well like this:
alias dt="cd $HOME/Desktop"
Refresh your terminal paths by restarting terminal or with
source ~/.bash_profile
Type just dt and your path should change to the Desktop