{
"content": [
{
"type": "text",
"text": "# readlink (man)\n\n## NAME\n\nreadlink - print resolved symbolic links or canonical file names\n\n## SYNOPSIS\n\nreadlink [OPTION]... FILE...\n\n## DESCRIPTION\n\nNote realpath(1) is the preferred command to use for canonicalization functionality.\n\n## TLDR\n\n> Follow symlinks and get symlink information.\n\n- Get the actual file to which the symlink points:\n `readlink {{path/to/file}}`\n- Get the absolute path to a file:\n `readlink {{-f|--canonicalize}} {{path/to/file}}`\n\n*Source: tldr-pages*\n\n## Sections\n\n- **NAME**\n- **SYNOPSIS**\n- **DESCRIPTION** (9 subsections)\n- **AUTHOR**\n- **REPORTING BUGS**\n- **COPYRIGHT**\n- **SEE ALSO**\n\nUse structuredContent.sections for detailed options, examples, and full documentation.\n"
}
],
"structuredContent": {
"command": "readlink",
"section": "",
"mode": "man",
"summary": "readlink - print resolved symbolic links or canonical file names",
"synopsis": "readlink [OPTION]... FILE...",
"tldr_summary": "Follow symlinks and get symlink information.",
"tldr_examples": [
{
"description": "Get the actual file to which the symlink points",
"command": "readlink {{path/to/file}}"
},
{
"description": "Get the absolute path to a file",
"command": "readlink {{-f|--canonicalize}} {{path/to/file}}"
}
],
"tldr_source": "official",
"flags": [
{
"flag": "-f",
"long": "--canonicalize",
"arg": null,
"description": "canonicalize by following every symlink in every component of the given name recur‐ sively; all but the last component must exist"
},
{
"flag": "-e",
"long": "--canonicalize-existing",
"arg": null,
"description": "canonicalize by following every symlink in every component of the given name recur‐ sively, all components must exist"
},
{
"flag": "-m",
"long": "--canonicalize-missing",
"arg": null,
"description": "canonicalize by following every symlink in every component of the given name recur‐ sively, without requirements on components existence"
},
{
"flag": "-n",
"long": "--no-newline",
"arg": null,
"description": "do not output the trailing delimiter"
},
{
"flag": "-q",
"long": "--quiet",
"arg": null,
"description": ""
},
{
"flag": "-s",
"long": "--silent",
"arg": null,
"description": "suppress most error messages (on by default)"
},
{
"flag": "-v",
"long": "--verbose",
"arg": null,
"description": "report error messages"
},
{
"flag": "-z",
"long": "--zero",
"arg": null,
"description": "end each output line with NUL, not newline --help display this help and exit"
},
{
"flag": "",
"long": "--version",
"arg": null,
"description": "output version information and exit"
}
],
"examples": [],
"see_also": [
{
"name": "realpath",
"section": "1",
"url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/realpath/1/json"
},
{
"name": "realpath",
"section": "3",
"url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/realpath/3/json"
}
],
"section_outline": [
{
"name": "NAME",
"lines": 2,
"subsections": []
},
{
"name": "SYNOPSIS",
"lines": 2,
"subsections": []
},
{
"name": "DESCRIPTION",
"lines": 4,
"subsections": [
{
"name": "-f --canonicalize",
"lines": 3,
"flag": "-f",
"long": "--canonicalize"
},
{
"name": "-e --canonicalize-existing",
"lines": 3,
"flag": "-e",
"long": "--canonicalize-existing"
},
{
"name": "-m --canonicalize-missing",
"lines": 3,
"flag": "-m",
"long": "--canonicalize-missing"
},
{
"name": "-n --no-newline",
"lines": 2,
"flag": "-n",
"long": "--no-newline"
},
{
"name": "-q --quiet",
"lines": 1,
"flag": "-q",
"long": "--quiet"
},
{
"name": "-s --silent",
"lines": 2,
"flag": "-s",
"long": "--silent"
},
{
"name": "-v --verbose",
"lines": 2,
"flag": "-v",
"long": "--verbose"
},
{
"name": "-z --zero",
"lines": 4,
"flag": "-z",
"long": "--zero"
},
{
"name": "--version",
"lines": 2,
"long": "--version"
}
]
},
{
"name": "AUTHOR",
"lines": 2,
"subsections": []
},
{
"name": "REPORTING BUGS",
"lines": 3,
"subsections": []
},
{
"name": "COPYRIGHT",
"lines": 5,
"subsections": []
},
{
"name": "SEE ALSO",
"lines": 8,
"subsections": []
}
],
"sections": {
"NAME": {
"content": "readlink - print resolved symbolic links or canonical file names\n",
"subsections": []
},
"SYNOPSIS": {
"content": "readlink [OPTION]... FILE...\n",
"subsections": []
},
"DESCRIPTION": {
"content": "Note realpath(1) is the preferred command to use for canonicalization functionality.\n\nPrint value of a symbolic link or canonical file name\n",
"subsections": [
{
"name": "-f --canonicalize",
"content": "canonicalize by following every symlink in every component of the given name recur‐\nsively; all but the last component must exist\n",
"flag": "-f",
"long": "--canonicalize"
},
{
"name": "-e --canonicalize-existing",
"content": "canonicalize by following every symlink in every component of the given name recur‐\nsively, all components must exist\n",
"flag": "-e",
"long": "--canonicalize-existing"
},
{
"name": "-m --canonicalize-missing",
"content": "canonicalize by following every symlink in every component of the given name recur‐\nsively, without requirements on components existence\n",
"flag": "-m",
"long": "--canonicalize-missing"
},
{
"name": "-n --no-newline",
"content": "do not output the trailing delimiter\n",
"flag": "-n",
"long": "--no-newline"
},
{
"name": "-q --quiet",
"content": "",
"flag": "-q",
"long": "--quiet"
},
{
"name": "-s --silent",
"content": "suppress most error messages (on by default)\n",
"flag": "-s",
"long": "--silent"
},
{
"name": "-v --verbose",
"content": "report error messages\n",
"flag": "-v",
"long": "--verbose"
},
{
"name": "-z --zero",
"content": "end each output line with NUL, not newline\n\n--help display this help and exit\n",
"flag": "-z",
"long": "--zero"
},
{
"name": "--version",
"content": "output version information and exit\n",
"long": "--version"
}
]
},
"AUTHOR": {
"content": "Written by Dmitry V. Levin.\n",
"subsections": []
},
"REPORTING BUGS": {
"content": "GNU coreutils online help: \nReport any translation bugs to \n",
"subsections": []
},
"COPYRIGHT": {
"content": "Copyright © 2020 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later\n.\nThis is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to\nthe extent permitted by law.\n",
"subsections": []
},
"SEE ALSO": {
"content": "readlink(2), realpath(1), realpath(3)\n\nFull documentation \nor available locally via: info '(coreutils) readlink invocation'\n\n\n\nGNU coreutils 8.32 January 2026 READLINK(1)",
"subsections": []
}
}
}
}