.. index:: HOME
.. _home:

The HOME Directory
-------------------

* Directory where user is placed on login.

* Determined by sixth field in /etc/passwd (``getent passwd``)::

    romeo:x:500:100:romeo vincent:/home/romeo:/bin/bash

* Can also be referred to by the shell variable :envvar:`$HOME` 
  (e.g. ``cat $HOME/foo``\ ).

* Also, tilde expansion in most shells: ~ (e.g. ``cat ~/foo``\ ).

* :command:`cd` command used without arguments returns the user to their home
  directory.

* User can create and remove files in their home directory but not in other
  directories.

.. note::

    The HOME directory is changed by modifying the entry in /etc/passwd.
    Changing HOME does not change the home directory; rather HOME is set from
    the entry in /etc/passwd when a user logs in.

    The ~ can be used to refer to any user's home directory except that the
    form is a little different when referring to self. A / after the ~
    makes all the difference:

        ``cat ~romeo/foo`` Displays foo in romeo's home directory

        ``cat ~/foo`` Displays foo in my home directory

    The advantage of using the ~ is that you do not need to know
    the pathname of the home directory to access a file in that directory
    structure. This facility is not available in the Bourne shell.