How do I find the target of a symbolic link?

Use 'readlink symlink_name'. For example: 'readlink /usr/bin/python' might output '/usr/bin/python3'.

What is the difference between readlink and realpath?

readlink resolves only the immediate symbolic link. realpath resolves all symbolic links and '..' components in a path, returning the absolute canonicalized pathname.

readlink Command

Q: What does the readlink command do in Linux?

The readlink command is used to resolve symbolic links (symlinks) and print the canonicalized absolute pathname of a file or directory. It helps in finding the true location of a file pointed to by a symlink.

The readlink command in Linux is used to resolve symbolic links (symlinks) and print the canonicalized absolute pathname of a file or directory. It's a valuable tool for understanding the true location of files, especially in complex file system structures with many links.

Syntax

readlink [OPTION]... FILE

Description

By default, readlink prints the value of a symbolic link. With options, it can provide more comprehensive path resolution, including resolving all components of a path to their canonical form, which means eliminating any ., .., or symbolic link components.

Common uses include:

Finding the target of a symbolic link.
Getting the absolute, canonical path of a file.
Verifying file existence and accessibility through links.
Scripting tasks that require absolute file paths.

Common Options

Option	Description
`-f, --canonicalize`	Canonicalize by following every symlink in every component of the given name recursively; all but the last component must exist.
`-e, --canonicalize-existing`	Canonicalize by following every symlink in every component of the given name recursively, and all components must exist.
`-m, --canonicalize-missing`	Canonicalize by following every symlink in every component of the given name recursively, without requirements on components existence.
`-n, --no-newline`	Do not output the trailing newline.
`-q, --quiet`	Suppress most error messages.
`-v, --verbose`	Report all error messages.

Examples

Resolve a symbolic link

                        ln -s /usr/bin/python3 /tmp/python_link

                        readlink /tmp/python_link
                        
                        # Output: /usr/bin/python3

Shows the target path of a symbolic link.

Print the canonicalized absolute path

                        readlink -f ./../my_folder/./file.txt
                        
                        # Example Output: /home/user/my_folder/file.txt

Resolves all symlinks and ./.. components to give the absolute path.

Resolve a path with non-existent components (using -m)

                        readlink -m /nonexistent/path/to/file.txt
                        
                        # Output: /nonexistent/path/to/file.txt

The -m option attempts to canonicalize the path even if some components don't exist.

Check if a file is a symbolic link

if [ -L my_symlink ]; then echo "It's a symlink"; fi

A shell script example to check if a file is a symbolic link before using readlink.