Directory Navigation

Get where you're going, fast

Stop typing cd ../../projects/work/repo and start jumping. This is navigation that feels like teleportation.

Aliases

Using lsd as the modern ls replacement with icons and colors:

Alias	Command	Description
ls	lsd	Modern ls with icons
ll	ls -l	Long listing
la	ls -la	Long with hidden files
lla	ls -la	Same as la (alias alias)
lt	ls --tree	Tree view of directory

lsd shows file type icons, git status, and permission colors. It's ls but actually useful.

Navigation Functions

mkcd — Create & Enter

The most useful function you never knew you needed:

mkcd new-project
# Creates the directory and cds into it
# One command instead of two

take — Multi-Argument mkcd

For deep directory structures:

take path/to/new/project
# Creates all intermediate directories
# Cds to the final one

up — Go Up N Directories

Because cd ../../.. is barbaric:

up      # cd ..
up 2    # cd ../..
up 3    # cd ../../..
up 5    # You get the idea

mktree — Create & Show Tree

Create a directory and immediately see its structure:

mktree src/components
# Creates the directory
# Shows tree view

Zoxide Integration

Zoxide is like autojump but actually maintained. It learns your habits and lets you jump to frequently-used directories with minimal typing.

z project     # Jump to most frequent "project" match
z foo bar     # Multiple query terms
zi            # Interactive selection with fzf

The more you use it, the smarter it gets. After a week, you'll forget how you lived without it.

zp — Zoxide with Directory Stack

Enhanced zoxide that maintains a stack:

zp project    # Jump to "project", push current dir to stack
zp --pop      # Pop from stack, return to previous dir
zp --list     # Show the stack
zp --clear    # Clear the stack
zpp           # Alias for zp --pop

Perfect for "I need to check something elsewhere then come back" workflows.

Bookmarks

Persistent directory bookmarks that survive shell restarts. Stored in ~/.bookmarks.

mark — Create Bookmark

Bookmark the current directory:

cd ~/dev/important-project
mark proj     # Creates bookmark "proj"

jump — Go to Bookmark

Jump to a bookmarked directory:

jump proj     # cd to ~/dev/important-project
jump          # No argument: interactive fzf selection

marks — List Bookmarks

See all your bookmarks:

marks
# proj  →  /Users/bliss/dev/important-project
# dots  →  /Users/bliss/dev/dotfiles
# work  →  /Users/bliss/work/current-project

unmark — Remove Bookmark

Delete a bookmark:

unmark proj   # Removes the "proj" bookmark

When to use bookmarks vs zoxide: Use bookmarks for permanent locations you visit infrequently. Use zoxide for places you visit regularly—it learns automatically.

FZF-Powered Navigation

fcd — Interactive Directory Browser

Fuzzy-find directories with tree preview:

fcd
# Shows all directories in current tree
# Right pane shows tree preview
# Navigate with arrow keys
# Enter to cd

Excludes dotfiles and common ignored directories (node_modules, .git, etc.).

dv — Directory Size Viewer

Find what's eating your disk space:

dv
# Shows directories sorted by size
# Tree preview for selected directory
# Perfect for finding space hogs

Utility Functions

duh — Sorted Directory Sizes

Human-readable sizes, sorted:

duh
# 2.3G  ./node_modules
# 856M  ./dist
# 124M  ./src
# 45M   ./.git

du but actually useful. Add a path argument to check a specific directory.

ff — Find Files

Case-insensitive file search:

ff config
# Finds:
#   ./tsconfig.json
#   ./jest.config.js
#   ./.vscode/settings.json

Faster than trying to remember the exact filename.

Workflows

Exploring a New Codebase

# Jump to the repo
z my-new-project

# Get a sense of structure
lt

# Browse directories interactively
fcd

# Find that config file
ff eslint

Rapid Context Switching

# You're in project A
zp project-b    # Jump to B, push A to stack

# Do something in B
# ...

# Return to A
zpp             # Pop from stack, back to A

Managing Permanent Locations

# Bookmark important directories
cd ~/dev/client-work
mark client

cd ~/personal/blog
mark blog

# Jump between them
jump client
jump blog

# Or interactively
jump
# Fuzzy-find with fzf

Finding Space Hogs

# Check current directory
duh

# Or specific location
duh ~/Downloads

# Interactive exploration
dv
# Browse and find the culprit

Pro Tips

Learn zoxide first: It's the fastest way to move around. Let it learn your patterns for a week, then watch the magic happen.

Bookmark your workspace root: Even if you use zoxide, having a bookmark for your main workspace is useful: mark ws → jump ws.

Use up liberally: Stop counting dots. up 3 is faster and clearer than cd ../../...

Tree view for README writing: Use lt to generate directory structures for documentation.

Combine with tmux: Different tmux panes in different directories = peak workflow efficiency.