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rootnode-academy/content/root/root-01-computing-linux-foundations/m03-navigating-the-filesystem/02-demonstration-absolute-vs-relative.md
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ced4568andClaude Sonnet 5 15b616274b feat(root01): author Computing & Linux Foundations, and the real 01->05 prerequisite chain
Adds all 6 ROOT 01 modules (how computers run software, the shell, filesystem navigation,
files & text, processes, users & permissions foundations), each with a real lesson,
demonstration/guided exercise, knowledge check where warranted, a hands-on Lab, and a
reflection — 35 activities, 29 new content files.

Adds 6 new hands-on Linux scenarios (linux-inspect-hardware, linux-shell-basics,
linux-filesystem-navigation, linux-files-and-text, linux-process-management,
linux-permissions-foundations) plus 2 MCQ scenarios, using the existing generic scenario/
validation engine (docs/ROOT_FOUNDATIONS_LAB_STRATEGY.md §1) — every one tested end-to-end via
the real scenario setup/validate API, including negative tests confirming they correctly FAIL
when not actually solved (e.g. the process-management scenario fails while the target process
is still running; the permissions scenario is tested against a real `su - labuser` denial).

Wires rootnode-linux-foundations-assessment (2 required + 4 random-draw scenarios) using the
existing Phase 3B assessment engine.

Adds a real, server-side ROOT 01->02->03->04->05 course prerequisite chain
(courses.prerequisites) — verified live on two students: one who completed ROOT 01 sees ROOT 02
unlock; a fresh student sees ROOT 02 correctly locked while 03/04/05 stay vacuously satisfied
(their own prerequisite courses are still empty). ROOT 06+ and the Capstone are unaffected.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5 <[email protected]>
2026-08-26 12:59:52 -05:00

1.3 KiB

Demonstration: The Same Word, Two Different Destinations

OBSERVE

Starting from /home/student, run cd project — you land at /home/student/project.

HYPOTHESIS

Now, from /home/student/project, what do you predict cd project will do this time?

INSPECT

$ pwd
/home/student/project
$ cd project
bash: cd: project: No such file or directory

It fails — there's no project directory INSIDE project (unless you happened to create one). The exact same relative path meant something completely different depending on where you stood.

CHANGE

From /home/student/project, run cd ../project instead — this correctly goes back up one level, then into project again, landing you right back where you started.

VERIFY

pwd after each cd to confirm exactly where you ended up — this habit (verify your location before assuming it) prevents a huge share of "why did my command run somewhere unexpected" confusion later.

Instructor Notes

Demo goal: Make "relative paths depend on where you are" concrete and slightly surprising, rather than an abstract rule to memorize.

Approximate timing: 8 minutes live.

Common mistake to watch for: students assume a relative path always means the SAME thing once they've used it once — reinforce that it's re-evaluated fresh every time, from wherever they currently are.