Linux Filesystem

Last updated 2026-08-20 · 4 notes · 3 tags

Tags: filesystem linux paths

A quick map of where things live and how to check disk space or find a file.

Home folder

Your personal files live under your home directory. The shortcut is:

Example: ~/projects/your-project is a project inside your home folder.

Note: On WSL, Windows files appear under /mnt/c/.... Prefer ~/projects for coding work when you can.

Current folder

pwd

How big is this folder?

du -sh .

Note: The . means “the folder I am in right now.”

Free disk space

df -h

Find a file by name

From the current folder downward:

find . -name "*.py"

Find a folder by name

find . -type d -name "node_modules"

Note: find can take a while on huge drives. Start from a project folder, not from /, unless you mean to search the whole system.

Common places

Path	What it is
`~` or `/home/YOUR_USERNAME`	Your home
`~/projects`	Suggested place for repos
`/tmp`	Temporary files (can be cleared on reboot)
`/mnt/c/...`	Windows `C:` drive (WSL only)

Note: Replace YOUR_USERNAME with the Linux username you created at install time.

Common mistakes

Deleting from the terminal does not use the Windows Recycle Bin unless you set up trash-cli.
When sharing a path with someone (or an AI), paste the full output of pwd.

This project captures ideas, decisions, and lessons I’ve learned while building with AI. It aims to help non-technical users understand and use these tools effectively. I also use AI at times to improve or refine the content.

Readers should use the commands and instructions here with care. The creator accepts no responsibility for system damage, data loss or other consequences resulting from their use.

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