realpath

Linux · Files · reference only

What it does

Converts a path into its canonical absolute form: it resolves ., .. and symbolic links.

Syntax

realpath [opciones] ruta...

Options and parameters

• -e

  Requires every component to exist; otherwise it fails.

• -m

  Does not require any component to exist.

• -s

  Does not resolve symbolic links.

• -q

  Suppresses error messages.

• --relative-to=DIR

  Prints the path relative to that directory.

• -z

  Ends each output line with a null character.

Usage examples

• realpath ../notas.txt

  Returns the absolute path of notas.txt, one level above the current directory.

• realpath -e /tmp/nada

  Fails because that path does not exist.

• realpath --relative-to=/home/ana /home/ana/docs/a.txt

  Returns docs/a.txt, relative to /home/ana.

• realpath -s enlace

  Returns the link's absolute path without following it to its target.

Notes and common mistakes

• By default every component except the last must exist.

Related commands

• bzip2
• cmp
• cp
• file
• find
• gzip