Get full directory path of a script regardless of where it is run from

BASEDIR=$(dirname $(readlink -f $0))

Also resolves symlinks, showing the full path of the link target

By: mackaz

2011-12-01 09:10:21

dirname readlink cd dirname pwd variable

3 Alternatives + Submit Alt

Get full directory path of a script regardless of where it is run from

Sometimes you need the full path to your script, regardless of how it was executed (which starting directory) in order to maintain other relative paths in the script. If you attempt to just use something simple like: STARTING_DIR="${0%/*}" you will only get the relative path depending on where you first executed the script from. You can get the relative path to the script (from your starting point) by using dirname, but you actually have to change directories and print the working directory to get the absolute full path. Show Sample Output
This is sample output - yours may be different.
```
[bbbco@bbbco-dt scripts]$ vi startingdir.sh
-----------------
#!/bin/bash
echo $(cd $(dirname $0) && pwd)

-----------------

[bbbco@bbbco-dt scripts]$ ./startingdir.sh 
/home/bbbco/scripts
[bbbco@bbbco-dt scripts]$ cd ..
[bbbco@bbbco-dt ~]$ scripts/startingdir.sh 
/home/bbbco/scripts
[bbbco@bbbco-dt ~]$ cd Downloads/
[bbbco@bbbco-dt Downloads]$ /home/bbbco/scripts/startingdir.sh 
/home/bbbco/scripts
[bbbco@bbbco-dt Downloads]$ 
```
0

STARTING_DIR=$(cd $(dirname $0) && pwd)

bbbco · 2011-11-30 17:35:15 6
Get full directory path of a script regardless of where it is run from

Since none of the systems I work on have readlink, this works cross-platform (everywhere has perl, right?). Note: This will resolve links. Show Sample Output
This is sample output - yours may be different.
```
]$  ls -l test.sh
-rwxr-xr-x    1 follier dev-user         78 Feb 01 14:05 test.sh

]$  ./test.sh
/home/follier/test.sh

]$  ls -l linktest.sh
lrwxrwxrwx    1 follier dev-user         12 Feb 01 14:07 linktest.sh -> /tmp/test.sh

]$ ./linktest.sh
/tmp/test.sh
```
0

FULLPATH=$(perl -e "use Cwd 'abs_path';print abs_path('$0');")

follier · 2013-02-01 20:09:34 6
Get full directory path of a script regardless of where it is run from

work for execute file
This is sample output - yours may be different.
-1

dirname $(readlink -f ${BASH_SOURCE[0]})

unixyangg · 2011-12-02 16:10:38 4

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What do you think?

Any thoughts on this command? Does it work on your machine? Can you do the same thing with only 14 characters?

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