Quick Directory Navigation from the Command Line

Productivity Sauce
Jeroen Janssens has recently shared a neat little hack that allows you to bookmark often-used directory paths in the terminal and quickly jump to any of the bookmarked directories. The way the hack works is simple: several custom functions in the .bashrc file are used to create and remove symbolic links in the ~/.marks directory as well as quickly jump to a specific bookmarks. So to make the hack work on your system, add the following code to the ./bashrc file:
export MARKPATH=$HOME/.marks function jump { cd -P "$MARKPATH/$1" 2>/dev/null || echo "No such mark: $1" } function mark { mkdir -p "$MARKPATH"; ln -s "$(pwd)" "$MARKPATH/$1" } function unmark { rm -i "$MARKPATH/$1" } function marks { ls -l "$MARKPATH" | sed 's/ / /g' | cut -d' ' -f9- | sed 's/ -/\t-/g' && echo } _completemarks() { local curw=${COMP_WORDS[COMP_CWORD]} local wordlist=$(find $MARKPATH -type l -printf "%f\n") COMPREPLY=($(compgen -W '${wordlist[@]}' -- "$curw")) return 0 } complete -F _completemarks jump unmark
Create then the ~/.marks directory, and you are ready to go. Now open the terminal, navigate to the desired directory and bookmark it using the mark command:
mark dir1
You can then quickly jump to the bookmarked directory by using the jump dir1 command. To remove the bookmark, run the unmark dir1 command. The hack includes the tab completion functionality, too: type jump, press Enter, and you should see a list of all existing bookmarks. Clever, eh?
comments powered by DisqusSubscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.
-
What Open Source Pros Look for in a Job Role
Learn what professionals in technical and non-technical roles say is most important when seeking a new position.
-
Asahi Linux Runs into Issues with M4 Support
Due to Apple Silicon changes, the Asahi Linux project is at odds with adding support for the M4 chips.
-
Plasma 6.3.4 Now Available
Although not a major release, Plasma 6.3.4 does fix some bugs and offer a subtle change for the Plasma sidebar.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 First Release Candidate Now Available
Linux Torvalds has announced that the release candidate for the final release of the Linux 6.15 series is now available.
-
Akamai Will Host kernel.org
The organization dedicated to cloud-based solutions has agreed to host kernel.org to deliver long-term stability for the development team.