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REALPATH

Section: User Commands (1)
Updated: February 2026
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NAME

realpath - print the resolved path  

SYNOPSIS

realpath [,OPTION/]... ,FILE/...  

DESCRIPTION

Print the resolved absolute file name.

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#realpat-E'-E, --canonicalizeX'tty: link'

all but the last component must exist (default)

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#realpat-e'-e, --canonicalize-existingX'tty: link'

all components of the path must exist

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#realpat-m'-m, --canonicalize-missingX'tty: link'

no path components need exist or be a directory

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#realpat-L'-L, --logicalX'tty: link'

resolve '..' components before symlinks

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#realpat-P'-P, --physicalX'tty: link'

resolve symlinks as encountered (default)

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#realpat-q'-q, --quietX'tty: link'

suppress most error messages

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#realpat-relativ-to'--relative-to=DIRX'tty: link'

print the resolved path relative to DIR

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#realpat-relativ-base'--relative-base=DIRX'tty: link'

print absolute paths unless paths below DIR

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#realpat-s'-s, --strip, --no-symlinksX'tty: link'

don't expand symlinks

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#realpat-z'-z, --zeroX'tty: link'

end each output line with NUL, not newline

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/realpath#realpat-help'--helpX'tty: link'

display this help and exit

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/realpath#realpat-version'--versionX'tty: link'

output version information and exit

 

AUTHOR

Written by Padraig Brady.  

REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to: bug-coreutils@gnu.org

Report Gentoo bugs to: https://bugs.gentoo.org/
GNU coreutils home page: <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>
General help using GNU software: <https://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>
Report any translation bugs to <https://translationproject.org/team/>  

SEE ALSO

readlink(1), readlink(2), realpath(3)

Full documentation <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/realpath>
or available locally via: info aq(coreutils) realpath invocationaq

Packaged by Gentoo (9.10 (p0))
Copyright © 2026 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

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Index

NAME

SYNOPSIS

DESCRIPTION

AUTHOR

REPORTING BUGS

SEE ALSO