I have learned that ';' is equivalent to 'enter' in the command line. But I have this situation.
My directory has the following configuration: Directory A contains directories B and C. In currently in directory B. I do the following:
cd ../
that takes me to A, of course. Then I do:
cd C
that takes me to C.
However, if I chain the two commands, starting in B again:
(cd ../ ; cd C)
I still stay in B. What is going on? Why does it not take me to C?
The process that you start when you execute ( cd ../; cd C) has its own environment, and therefore its own current working directory. This is demonstrable below:
dogface@computer ~/A/B
$ ( cd .. ; pwd ; cd C; pwd )
/home/dogface/A
/home/dogface/A/C
dogface@computer ~/A/B
$ pwd
/home/dogface/A/B
Now try without the '(' and ')' ...
dogface@computer ~/A/B
$ cd .. ; cd C
dogface@computer ~/A/C
$ pwd
/home/dogface/A/C