How to Get the Absolute File Path in Linux [6 Easy Ways]

Written by

Ojash

Reviewed by

Akshat

Last updated: July 24, 2024

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Finding files on your computer can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack, right? Fortunately, there’s a way to make it easier. In this post, you’ll learn about absolute file paths in Linux, which give you the complete address of a file. I’ll show you different methods to find these paths and troubleshoot common issues, making your file management much simpler. By the end, you’ll know how to distinguish between absolute and relative paths, and use commands like pwd, realpath, Python scripts, and bash scripts to efficiently locate your files.

What is an Absolute File Path?

An absolute file path is the complete address to a file or directory on your computer. It starts from the root directory / and includes all the directories up to the file or folder. Think of it as the full address of your home, which includes the country, city, street, and house number.

Absolute vs. Relative Paths

Here’s a comparison of Absolute vs. Relative Paths in a table format:

cd /home/user/documents

nano /home/user/documents/file.txt

This command opens file.txt in the nano text editor.

cp /home/user/documents/file.txt /home/user/backup/

This command copies file.txt to the backup directory.

How to Get the Absolute File Path in Linux

For detailed steps for these two methods and four other methods to find absolute file path in Linux, read this guide:

1. pwd Command 

The pwd (print working directory) command prints the absolute file path of the current working directory. Here’s how to use this command:

1. Launch the Terminal by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T or searching for it in your applications.

2. Next, navigate to the directory whose absolute path you want to know. You can do this using the cd command followed by the directory name or path. For example, you can run the following command to navigate to the Download directory in your home folder.

cd Downloads

3. But if you want to go further into the directory, use the slash (/) symbol in with the cd command followed by the directory names. Your command should look like this:

4. Once you’re in the directory whose absolute path you want to know, run the pwd command. You can do this by simply typing pwd and pressing Enter:

pwd

5. After you run the pwd command, you should see the absolute path of the current working directory printed on your Terminal screen.

2. realpath Command

The realpath command resolves all symbolic links in a file path and returns the absolute file path. To get the absolute file path of a file or directory using this command, follow the steps below:

1. Launch the Terminal and run the following command:

cd ~/path/to/file_or_directory

2. Before using the realpath command, you need to identify the file or directory whose absolute path you want to know. Make a note of the file or directory path.

3. Once you know the file or directory path, run the realpath command followed by the path. For example, if you want to get the absolute file path of a file named “example.txt” located in the Documents directory in your home folder, you can run the following command:

realpath ~/Documents/example.txt

4. In my case, I used the realpath command to get the absolute file path of the Document1.odt in the Docs directory.

5. After running the realpath command, you should see the absolute file path of the file or directory printed on the screen. You should get a similar output on your Terminal screen:

3. Python Script

Python script can also be used to get the absolute path of the file. This can be particularly helpful when you need to work with files in different directories or want to avoid relative path issues. Here’s how you can use this method to get the absolute file path in Linux:

1. Head to the Terminal and launch the Python mode by running the following command:

python3

2. Then, execute this Python script, which uses the os.path.abspath() method to get the absolute file path of a file or directory:

import os file_path = "/path/to/file_or_directory" absolute_file_path = os.path.abspath(file_path) print(absolute_file_path)

3. Once you run the command, you’ll get the absolute path. Your output should look like this:

4. Bash Script

To get the absolute file path in Linux, you can also create a bash script with the readlink command and shebang notation. Here are the steps to use this method:

1. Create a shebang file using the touch command in the Terminal window.

2. Right-click and open the script file in the text editor.

3. Write the bash script that uses the readlink command to get the absolute file path of a file or directory:

#!/bin/bash
path='readlink -f "$(BASH_SOURCE:-$0)"'
echo 'the absolute path is' $path

4. Here’s what your code should look like:

5. After executing the command ./Filename.sh, it will show the absolute path of the file or directory.

5. readlink Command with -f Option

The readlink -f command is used to print the absolute path of a file, resolving all symbolic links.

1. Access your command window.
2. Install readlink if not already installed:

sudo apt-get install coreutils

3. Use the readlink command with the -f option:

readlink -f filename

Replace the filename with the name of your desired file.

This command outputs the absolute path of filename.

6. find Command

The find command is a versatile tool for searching files in a directory hierarchy and printing their absolute paths.

1. Launch your Terminal window and navigate to your target directory (if needed):

cd /path/to/search/directory

2. Use the find command to search for the file:

find $(pwd) -name filename

Replace the filename with the name of your desired file.

The output will be:

5 Common  Problems When Getting Absolute File Path

When getting an absolute file path in Linux, you might face some issues. I’ve listed five of them along with their solutions here:

1. 🔍 Symbolic Links

Symbolic links can mislead path resolution, leading to incorrect file paths and script failures. Scripts may not follow links correctly, resulting in unintended file operations or errors.

Solution: Use commands like realpath or readlink -f to resolve symbolic links and obtain the actual file path without symbolic references.

2. 🔒 Permissions

Restricted file permissions can block access to files, causing permission denied errors during path retrieval. This issue often arises when attempting to access system files or directories without sufficient privileges.

Solution: Ensure that the current user has appropriate read permissions for the file or directory. Use sudo or adjust file permissions (chmod) if necessary.

3. 📂 Whitespace Handling

Mishandling spaces in file names can disrupt path resolution, causing commands to misinterpret paths. Scripts or commands may fail to recognize files with spaces, leading to errors in file operations.

Solution: Enclose file paths containing spaces within quotation marks ("). This ensures that the shell interprets the entire path correctly, including spaces.

4. 🔄 Relative Path Conversion

Errors in converting relative paths to absolute paths can result in incorrect path outputs, affecting script functionality. Scripts relying on accurate path conversion may fail to locate files or directories correctly.

Solution: Always ensure that the base directory is correctly set before converting relative paths. Use cd or pwd commands to establish the starting point for relative path conversions.

5. 🐚 Shell Environment

Differences in shell configurations may alter path interpretations, impacting the consistency of path resolutions in scripts. Variables, aliases, or shell settings can influence how paths are resolved, leading to inconsistencies across different shell environments.

Solution: Use consistent shell environments across systems or explicitly define path-related variables ($PATH, $HOME) within scripts to ensure uniform path resolution.

Wrapping Up

In conclusion, finding the absolute file path in Linux is essential for navigating, running commands, and scripting. You can use commands like pwd, realpath, Python scripts, and bash scripts with readlink to get these paths. Watch out for issues like symbolic links, permissions, and whitespace errors to troubleshoot effectively.

For further learning, you might find it helpful to explore articles on:

• Displaying hidden files in Linux, which will show you how to manage and view all files in your directories.
• Unzipping .gz files, providing you with the skills to handle compressed files efficiently.
• Sorting files with the ls command, helping you organize and access your files more effectively.

Frequently Asked Questions