If you ever get lost in your computer, then pwd is for you. This command stands for “print working directory” or “pathway directory.” It prints your current location. For example, if you’re located in a shared insert_PI_here_group folder and used pwd, it’d look like: \begin{lstlisting}[style=P1] $ pwd /storage/scratch/share/insert_PI_here_group/ \end{lstlisting} This location can be copied from the command line and pasted into various locations where it is needed (like code input lines). Paths are important for programs, copying files, creating new files; many commands are path-dependent. Think of the path as the computer’s Google Maps. Without it, you wouldn’t get anywhere. Similarly, you can think of an alias as the routes you use so often, you have them memorized.