Why directory name is not recognized from Terminal window, but is recognized from my MacBook Air desktop?

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Level 1

4 points

Why directory name is not recognized from Terminal window, but is recognized from my MacBook Air desktop?

Can anybody help me to understand, what is going on, please?

I have created a folder on my Desktop and put subfolders inside with individual files (HideIt is the name of this folder).

I close HideIt folder.

I open HideIt folder again.

I can see the files, copy them, close , delete. No problems.

Now I open Terminal utility

I can see my desktop

when i type “ ls -l “ , I see the following: drwx------@ 14 grigoryzubkis staff 448 Jun 11 02:53 Desktop

I type “ cd Desktop”,

type “ ls -l “ I see the following: drwxr-xr-x@ 28 grigoryzubkis staff 896 Jun 10 09:27 HideIt

I try to step down into HideIt directory “ cd Hideit “, but get back: “ cd: no such file or directory: Hideit”

Why is that? Why “ ls -l “ does show me directory, but when I try to step down into this directory “ cd Hideit “, it doesnot work?

I try another thing. Instead of typing “ cd Hideit “, I type “ cd Hide* “, and it works?

What is going on?????

Also when somehow I try to copy or delete or whatever files inside “ HideIt “ folder , It does not work?

But if i do it just from my desktop, but not from Terminal utility, it does work?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 12.4

Posted on Jun 11, 2022 5:52 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

BobHarris

Level 9

55,055 points

Jun 11, 2022 8:57 AM in response to grigory193

spaces in file names and folders.

If you are going to be working from the command line a lot, then when you are naming a file or folder, just use _ (Underscore) where you would put a space, and your life in the command line will be easier.

Where you do not have control, or should not change a name macOS created, then you either single quote, double quote or backslash quote the name

Folder greg

would be specified on the command line as one of the following:

"Folder greg"
'Folder greg'
Folder\ greg

You can drag and drop a file or folder from the Finder to the Terminal window, and it will be properly quoted for use.

Copying a directory

cp -rp /path/to/directory/to/be/copied  /path/to/parent/directory/

So if I have a directory $HOME/Downloads/Fred and I want to make a copy in the parent directory $HOME/Documents, I would enter:

 cp -Rp  $HOME/Downloads/Fred  $HOME/Documents/

OR

cd $HOME/Downloads
cp -Rp Fred  $HOME/Documents/

Or

cd $HOME/Documents
cp -Rp $HOME/Downloads/Fred  ./

The -R will is for recursive and it will make sure all subdirectories under Fred are copied as well.

The -p is so that file permissions are preserved.

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Answer 2

Barney-15E

Level 10

116,506 points

Jun 11, 2022 5:58 AM in response to grigory193

Do you have a case-sensitive file system? Your folder is named HideIt but you asked Terminal to change to Hideit.

From Desktop as the working folder, try typing Hi then tab key. It should expand out the full name of the folder. When it does, try entering the command.

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