readlink

Q: What does readlink do?

Resolve and display the target of a symbolic link. readlink prints the target of a symlink. The -f flag canonicalizes the entire path, resolving all nested symlinks and relative components — essential for finding the true absolute path of any file.

Resolve and display the target of a symbolic link.

low risk

interactive breakdown — edit the command and press Explain

What it does

readlink prints the target of a symlink. The -f flag canonicalizes the entire path, resolving all nested symlinks and relative components — essential for finding the true absolute path of any file.

Common flags

Flag	Meaning
`-f` `--canonicalize`	Resolve all symlinks to absolute path
`-e` `--canonicalize-existing`	Canonicalize, fail if path doesn't exist
`-m` `--canonicalize-missing`	Canonicalize even if path doesn't exist

Examples

readlink /usr/bin/python3Show where python3 symlink points · explain & risk-check →

readlink -f /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/appResolve full canonical path · explain & risk-check →

readlink -f $0Get absolute path of current script · explain & risk-check →

Pro tip

Use `readlink -f $0` at the top of shell scripts to get the script's actual directory regardless of how it was invoked — essential for portable scripts.

ln which find

Open the full explainer →More in Files & Archives

Reference text is hand-written and may be incomplete — check man readlink for your version. Test destructive commands on a non-production system first.