How can I see the current directory on a Linux system? How do I find the full path to the current file location? The Linux pwd utility will help us with this.
Pwd utility
The pwd command prints the full path to the current / working directory relative to the root directory. If you run it without keys, then the result of its work will be as follows:
$ pwd
/home/user
Options linux pwd command
-P, –physical – the full path will be printed, and symbolic links will be converted to the original path. This method is used by default.
-L, –logical – displays the full path, but symbolic links will not be converted to the original path.
For example, let’s create a symbolic link to the /etc directory and navigate to it:
$ ln -s /etc/ etc
$ cd etc
And let’s see how the linux pwd utility works with the -P and -L options:
[user@linux etc]$ pwd -P
/etc
[user@linux etc]$ pwd -L
/home/user/etc
As you can see from the example, in the first case, the real directory is displayed, in the second, there is no conversion.
–help – display brief help for the utility:
$ pwd --help
pwd: pwd [-LP]
Print the name of the current working directory.
Options:
-L print the value of $PWD if it names the current working
directory
-P print the physical directory, without any symbolic links
By default, `pwd' behaves as if `-L' were specified.
Exit Status:
Returns 0 unless an invalid option is given or the current directory
cannot be read.
You can find even more useful Linux utilities on this page.