UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

I have a TAR (compressed) file that I uncompressed using the following command

$ tar xvf uagent.tar

It created a directory structure as follows

<root>/arcagent/UAGENT/reloc/$UAGENT_HOME/

How do I access files under the $UAGENT_HOME? Every time I do change directory command, the OS thinks $UAGENT_HOME is an alias (which it is not), and I get sent to another directory. If I try to access a file in that directory, I get a message saying the file does not exist, because the OS interprets the $UAGENT_HOME as an alias and looks for the file in another directory.

I need to get to the files under this $UAGENT_HOME directory, but can't.

Did you create the tar file?
If so, why would you name a directory
using a "$"? If not, tell the creator
to fix this. I suspect there is a similar
problem accessing that directory on the remote.

Having said that you should be able to
access it as follows:

cd /arcagent/UAGENT/reloc/\$UAGENT_HOME

...but personally, I hate it when people
name directories like this "on purpose"

Thanks so much. That worked. The directory was created by a vendor, so I have no control over it. Thanks again.

the "$" and many other charters are called metacharters. they have special meanings to the shell and various programs. in order to use them for there litterl meanings you must escape them. as mentioned above normally the "\" is the escape sequance.