Quickly Get File Path for Terminal

In this article, we will explore various methods to quickly get the file path for use in the terminal. Whether you’re a system administrator, a developer, or a Linux enthusiast, knowing how to quickly find the path of a file is a crucial skill. Let’s dive in.

Using readlink -f Command

The readlink command with the -f option is a quick and easy way to get the full file path in the terminal. Here’s how you can use it:

readlink -f filename

In the above command, replace filename with the name of your file. The -f option stands for “canonicalize,” which means it will follow every symlink in every component of the given name recursively. This will work even if the file doesn’t exist, so be cautious.

Using realpath Command

Another command that can be used to get the full file path is realpath. However, you might need to install it first. Here’s how to use it:

realpath filename

This command, just like readlink -f, will give you the full path of the file. Some users find realpath to be more accurate than readlink -f.

Copying Path to Clipboard

If you want to copy the path to the OS clipboard, you can use the following command:

realpath filename | xclip -selection c

This command uses xclip to copy the output of realpath filename to the clipboard. The -selection c option specifies that the clipboard selection should be used.

Drag and Drop Method

Another option is to drag and drop the file into the terminal. This will automatically populate the terminal with the full path of the file. However, note that it may return an “smb://” prefixed path for SMB mounted shares instead of the actual mounted path in some cases.

Using Nautilus File Browser

If you are using the Nautilus file browser, you can press CTRL+L to temporarily change the breadcrumb buttons to an address bar. This allows you to copy the complete path of the current directory.

Using which Command

If the file is an executable, you can use the which command followed by the executable name to get its full path. For example:

which your_executable

Using find Command

If you don’t have access to Nautilus or any file browser, you can use the find command to search for the file in a directory above it. For example:

find . | egrep filename

The find command searches for files in a directory hierarchy, and the egrep command is used to search text using patterns.

Using Python

In Python, you can use the os.realpath() function to get the full path of a file. For example:

python -c 'import os,sys;print(os.path.realpath(sys.argv[1]))' ./VirtualBox\ VMs/

This command uses Python’s os module to get the real path of the file.

In conclusion, there are multiple ways to quickly obtain the complete path of a file for use in the terminal. Whether you prefer using commands like readlink -f, realpath, which, find, or dragging and dropping the file into the terminal, the choice is yours. Remember, the more you practice these commands, the more comfortable you’ll become with them, enhancing your overall productivity in the terminal.