Linux realpath Command
The realpath command converts relative paths into absolute paths.
It also resolves symbolic links.
Why is it Useful?
Suppose:
cd Documents
Current location:
/home/aayan/Documents
File:
notes.txt
Using:
realpath notes.txt
Output:
/home/aayan/Documents/notes.txt
Syntax
realpath [OPTION] FILE
Basic Usage
realpath file.txt
Output:
/home/aayan/file.txt
View Current Directory Absolute Path
realpath .
Output:
/home/aayan
Parent Directory
realpath ..
Output:
/home
Command Options
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
-e | File must exist |
-m | Allow missing components |
-s | Do not resolve symlinks |
--relative-to | Relative output |
--help | Display help |
realpath -e
Require file existence.
realpath -e file.txt
realpath -m
Allow missing files.
realpath -m test/file.txt
Output:
/home/aayan/test/file.txt
realpath -s
Do not resolve symbolic links.
Symbolic Link Example
Create:
ln -s Documents docs
Normal:
realpath docs
Output:
/home/aayan/Documents
Using:
realpath -s docs
Output:
/home/aayan/docs
--relative-to
Example:
realpath --relative-to=/home/aayan /home/aayan/Documents
Output:
Documents
Real Examples
PocketMine Server
realpath plugins
Output:
/home/minecraft/server/plugins
Website Files
realpath /var/www/html
PHP Project
realpath app/Controllers
Ethical Hacking
realpath /usr/share/wordlists
Common Mistakes
File does not exist
Use:
realpath -m
Confusing Relative and Absolute Paths
Relative:
Documents/file.txt
Absolute:
/home/aayan/Documents/file.txt
Exercises
realpath .
realpath ..
realpath Documents
Create symlink and test:
realpath
realpath -s
Mini Lab
Create:
mkdir Projects
touch Projects/index.php
Run:
realpath Projects
realpath Projects/index.php
Command Summary
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
realpath file | Absolute path |
realpath . | Current directory |
realpath .. | Parent directory |
realpath -e | Require existence |
realpath -m | Allow missing paths |
realpath -s | Keep symlinks |
Key Takeaways
✅ Converts relative paths into absolute paths.
✅ Resolves symbolic links.
✅ Extremely useful in scripts and automation.
✅ Helpful for server administration and development.
Next Chapter
➡ File Management Commands (mkdir, touch, cp, mv, rm)