How to get full path of a file?

Question

Is there an easy way I can print the full path of `file.txt` ? file.txt = /nfs/an/disks/jj/home/dir/file.txt The `<command>` dir> <command> file.txt should print /nfs/an/disks/jj/home/dir/file.txt

Answer 1

This is a good question ... some utilities like basename or dirname might appear to be applicable here, but there are not. They work on the textual path value of a given file name, not at the file-system level.

Use the "readlink" command (with the -f option)

So for example:

$ for i in a*

> do

> readlink -f $i

> done

/home/lji/a1.awk

/home/lji/a2.awk

/home/lji/args.exe

/home/lji/args.exe.stackdump

/home/lji/arturo.mk

Here's the 1st line of the manual page for readlink

NAME

readlink - print resolved symbolic links or canonical file names