title: What directory is GCP Cloud Shell working in?
body: <p>I'm trying to set up a basic Python development environment through GCP's Cloud Shell command line interface and I'm trying to activate a virtualenv to run some stuff in Dataflow. However I'm finding that I'm confused as to which directory the Cloud Shell is operating in.</p>
  
  <p>My prompt shows the following:</p>
  
  <pre><code>my_name@cloudshell:~ (my-project-name)$
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I installed virtualenv on my local machine in a prior session, and just now tried to activate a virtual environment through this previously installed activation file on my local machine with</p>
  
  <pre><code>source C:/Folder1/Folder2/virtualenv/Scripts/activate
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>but I kept getting "No such file or directory" even though this is the correct path. After some sleuthing, I found out that Cloud Shell is operating from the following directory by default:</p>
  
  <pre><code>/home/my_name/C:/Folder1/Folder2/virtualenv
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>(in which there's no 'Scripts' folder, which was causing the directory error)</p>
  
  <p>This <code>/home/my_name/...</code> prefix directory is nowhere to be found on my local machine. I'm realizing I have no idea what directory the Cloud Shell is working from. </p>
  
  <p>I have a feeling that I've installed a lot of my environment files under this weird ghost directory (possibly inadvertently) and so now I've lost control over the structure of my development environment, because now I have virtualenv files on my local machine, and some other virtualenv files in this ghost directory. </p>
  
  <p>Can somebody explain </p>
  
  <p>1) Where this directory is located on my machine, if it's even there at all?</p>
  
  <p>2) If I'm <em>supposed</em> to setup my entire environment from within this ghost directory?</p>
  
  <p>3) If I just messed up my environment installation from the start and should start over? </p>
  
  <p>Appreciate any help, thanks.</p>