# phpman > man > readlink(1)

> **TLDR:** Follow symlinks and get symlink information.
>
- Get the actual file to which the symlink points:
  `readlink {{path/to/file}}`
- Get the absolute path to a file:
  `readlink {{-f|--canonicalize}} {{path/to/file}}`

*Source: tldr-pages*

---

[READLINK(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/READLINK/1/markdown)                                 User Commands                                [READLINK(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/READLINK/1/markdown)



## NAME
       readlink - print resolved symbolic links or canonical file names

## SYNOPSIS
       **readlink** [_OPTION_]... _FILE_...

## DESCRIPTION
       Note [realpath(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/realpath/1/markdown) is the preferred command to use for canonicalization functionality.

       Print value of a symbolic link or canonical file name

### -f --canonicalize
              canonicalize  by  following  every symlink in every component of the given name recur‐
              sively; all but the last component must exist

### -e --canonicalize-existing
              canonicalize by following every symlink in every component of the  given  name  recur‐
              sively, all components must exist

### -m --canonicalize-missing
              canonicalize  by  following  every symlink in every component of the given name recur‐
              sively, without requirements on components existence

### -n --no-newline
              do not output the trailing delimiter

### -q --quiet

### -s --silent
              suppress most error messages (on by default)

### -v --verbose
              report error messages

### -z --zero
              end each output line with NUL, not newline

       **--help** display this help and exit

### --version
              output version information and exit

## AUTHOR
       Written by Dmitry V. Levin.

## REPORTING BUGS
       GNU coreutils online help: <<https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>>
       Report any translation bugs to <<https://translationproject.org/team/>>

## COPYRIGHT
       Copyright © 2020 Free Software Foundation, Inc.  License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3  or  later
       <<https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>>.
       This  is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.  There is NO WARRANTY, to
       the extent permitted by law.

## SEE ALSO
       [readlink(2)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/readlink/2/markdown), [realpath(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/realpath/1/markdown), [realpath(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/realpath/3/markdown)

       Full documentation <<https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/readlink>>
       or available locally via: info '(coreutils) readlink invocation'



GNU coreutils 8.32                          January 2026                                 [READLINK(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/READLINK/1/markdown)