---
name: "chdir"
section: "2"
platform: "linux"
package: "man-pages"
version: "6.19-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/chdir/2"
---

# chdir(2)

change working directory

## NAME

chdir, fchdir - change working directory

## LIBRARY

Standard C library (*libc*, *-lc*)

## SYNOPSIS

```
#include <unistd.h>
```

**int chdir(const char \****path***);** **int fchdir(int** *fd***);**

Feature Test Macro Requirements for glibc (see [**feature\_test\_macros**(7)](/feature_test_macros/7.md)):

**fchdir**():

```
    _XOPEN_SOURCE >= 500
        || /* Since glibc 2.12: */ _POSIX_C_SOURCE >= 200809L
        || /* glibc up to and including 2.19: */ _BSD_SOURCE
```

## DESCRIPTION

**chdir**() changes the current working directory of the calling process to the directory specified in *path*.

**fchdir**() is identical to **chdir**(); the only difference is that the directory is given as an open file descriptor.

## RETURN VALUE

On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned, and *errno* is set to indicate the error.

## ERRORS

Depending on the filesystem, other errors can be returned. The more general errors for **chdir**() are listed below:

- **EACCES**

  Search permission is denied for one of the components of *path*. (See also [**path\_resolution**(7)](/path_resolution/7.md).)

- **EFAULT**

  *path* points outside your accessible address space.

- **EIO**

  An I/O error occurred.

- **ELOOP**

  Too many symbolic links were encountered in resolving *path*.

- **ENAMETOOLONG**

  *path* is too long.

- **ENOENT**

  The directory specified in *path* does not exist.

- **ENOMEM**

  Insufficient kernel memory was available.

- **ENOTDIR**

  A component of *path* is not a directory.

The general errors for **fchdir**() are listed below:

- **EACCES**

  Search permission was denied on the directory open on *fd*.

- **EBADF**

  *fd* is not a valid file descriptor.

- **ENOTDIR**

  *fd* does not refer to a directory.

## STANDARDS

POSIX.1-2024.

## HISTORY

- **chdir**()

  SVr4, POSIX.1-1988, 4.4BSD.

- **fchdir**()

  SVr4, 4.4BSD, SUSv1, POSIX.1-2001 XSI, POSIX.1-2008.

## NOTES

The current working directory is the starting point for interpreting relative pathnames (those not starting with '/').

A child process created via [**fork**(2)](/fork/2.md) inherits its parent's current working directory. The current working directory is left unchanged by [**execve**(2)](/execve/2.md).

## SEE ALSO

[**chroot**(2)](/chroot/2.md), [**getcwd**(3)](/getcwd/3.md), [**path\_resolution**(7)](/path_resolution/7.md)