chdir() — Change the working directory

Standards

Standards / Extensions	C or C++	Dependencies
POSIX.1 XPG4 XPG4.2 Single UNIX Specification, Version 3	both

Format

#define _POSIX_SOURCE
#include <unistd.h>

int chdir(const char *pathname);

General description

Makes pathname your new working directory.

Returned value

If successful, chdir() changes the working directory and returns 0.

If unsuccessful, chdir() does not change the working directory, returns -1, and sets errno to one of the following values:

Error Code: Description
EACCES: The process does not have search permission on one of the components of pathname.
ELOOP: A loop exists in symbolic links. This error is issued if the number of symbolic links detected in the resolution of pathname is greater than POSIX_SYMLOOP (a value defined in the limits.h header file).
ENAMETOOLONG: pathname is longer than PATH_MAX characters, or some component of pathname is longer than NAME_MAX characters while _POSIX_NO_TRUNC is in effect. For symbolic links, the length of the pathname string substituted for a symbolic link exceeds PATH_MAX. The PATH_MAX and NAME_MAX values are determined using pathconf().
ENOENT: pathname is an empty string, or the specified directory does not exist.
ENOTDIR: Some component of pathname is not a directory.

Example

CELEBC10

⁄* CELEBC10 *⁄
#define _POSIX_SOURCE
#include <unistd.h>
#undef _POSIX_SOURCE
#include <stdio.h>

main() {
  if (chdir("⁄tmp") != 0)
    perror("chdir() to ⁄tmp failed");
  if (chdir("⁄chdir⁄error") != 0)
    perror("chdir() to ⁄chdir⁄error failed");
}

Output

chdir() to /chdir/error failed: No such file or directory