Check location before file operations
Inspect location and contents separately: they answer different questions.
pwd — the working directory
The Bash builtin prints the logical or physical path of the current directory.
Cheat sheet
5 commands Printable version-
pwdcurrent path -
pwd -Llogical path -
pwd -Pphysical path -
type pwdcommand implementation -
help pwdBash help
Overview
pwd prints the shell’s current working directory. This page covers the Bash
builtin selected by a plain pwd invocation in the golden snapshot.
A logical path retains symbolic-link components used to reach the directory. A physical path resolves them. Two different path strings can therefore refer to the same directory. Neither result lists files or necessarily identifies the home directory.
Options
2Ordinary Bash defaults to -L, using PWD when it identifies the current
directory. -P requests a physical path. Assigning PWD does not change
directories; cd does that.
The external GNU pwd has its own option set. Its help/version options and defaults
are not part of this builtin reference; an external-command snapshot was not
supplied.
| Option | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
-L |
Print the logical path, retaining symbolic-link components when PWD is valid. | pwd -L |
-P |
Print the physical path with symbolic links resolved. | pwd -P |
Nothing found. Try a shorter query.
Recipes
3Resolve a physical path
Compare both results after entering through an existing symbolic link. Identical results are also normal.
Identify which pwd is selected
Bash may select a builtin, function, or alias. Identifying it explains differences in supported options.
Troubleshooting
3pwd: --: invalid option
The snapshot shows this message for pwd --version: the builtin was selected. Read
its help through the shell.
The path differs from what you expected
A symbolic link can explain the difference without a different directory being involved. Compare logical and physical results.
The current directory was removed
If the directory path cannot be recovered, change to an existing directory and check again. This does not restore deleted files.
Danger zone
pwd does not modify files. A stale or unchecked path is not sufficient
justification for deletion: inspect the actual target before changing it. The
directory / is not the root account.
Terms
1- working directory
- The directory from which a process resolves relative paths. In a shell, pwd prints it and cd changes it; a child process inherits it from its parent. Also appears in: cd, Container images, Dockerfile, /proc: processes and the kernel as files and 1 more
See also
-
cd — changing directory.
-
links — symbolic links and their targets.
-
files-basics — navigation and file operations.
-
bash — shell builtins.
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