slash dot /. What does this mean? Not the easiest google search

Here is and example of what I'm referring to. The tilde means "/home/usr/", but what does the dot indicate. I know it's not acting as " * " would.

Thanks.

Solution 1:

1. "/." pronounced "Slashdot" is a popular tech news website.

2. . in a UNIX filesystem context is similar to a "no-op"; it is the "identity" path and refers to the immediately preceding directory (or the current directory if there is nothing preceding it). So /. is equivalent to / and /home/me/. is equivalent to /home/me. . by itself is equivalent to the current directory. This has uses in some situations: for example, running ./command runs a program called command and requires it to be located in the current directory, bypassing the PATH.

3. . as a filename prefix means a hidden file, as @LaurentB said in his answer; however . by itself cannot be the name of a file. Filenames beginning with . are not typically shown by ls or other directory listing programs unless an option is set to view hidden files.

Solution 2:

It indicates a hidden file/folder.
Try to list it with ls -> you won't see it.
With ls -a you will.

Solution 3:

"~/.cpan/" is a hidden directory ".cpan" in your home directory. "~" is an unix abbreviation for a user's own home directory. ~user_X points to user_X's home directory.