Use the pwd command in Linux to view the full path of the "current working directory". Simply put, whenever you do something in the terminal, you have a current working directory. When not sure about the current location, pwd is used to determine the exact location of the current directory within the file system.
1. Command format:
pwd [options]
2. Command function:
View the full path of the "current working directory"
3. Common parameters:
Normally without any parameters
If the directory is a link:
Format: pwd -P displays the actual path instead of using the link path.
4. Common examples:
Example 1: View the full path of the default working directory with the pwd command
Order:
pwd
output:
[root@localhost ~]# pwd
/root
[root@localhost ~]#
Example 2 : Use the pwd command to view the specified folder
Order:
pwd
output:
[root@localhost ~]# cd /opt/soft/
[root@localhost soft]# pwd
/opt/soft
[root@localhost soft]#
Example 3: When a directory is linked, pwd -P displays the actual path instead of using the link path; pwd displays the link path
Order:
pwd -P
output:
[root@localhost soft]# cd /etc/init.d
[root@localhost init.d]# pwd
/etc/init.d
[root@localhost init.d]# pwd -P
/etc/rc.d/init.d
[root@localhost init.d]#
Example 4: /bin/pwd
Order:
/bin/pwd [ options ]
Options:
-L When the directory is linked, output the link path
-P output physical path
output:
[root@localhost init.d]# /bin/pwd
/etc/rc.d/init.d
[root@localhost init.d]# /bin/pwd --help
[root@localhost init.d]# /bin/pwd -P
/etc/rc.d/init.d
[root@localhost init.d]# /bin/pwd -L
/etc/init.d
[root@localhost init.d]#
Example 5: The current directory is deleted, but the pwd command still displays that directory
output:
[root@localhost init.d]# cd /opt/soft
[root@localhost soft]# mkdir removed
[root@localhost soft]# cd removed/
[root@localhost removed]# pwd
/opt/soft/removed
[root@localhost removed]# rm ../removed -rf
[root@localhost removed]# pwd
/opt/soft/removed
[root@localhost removed]# /bin/pwd
/bin/pwd: couldn't find directory entry in “..” with matching i-node
[root@localhost removed]# cd
[root@localhost ~]# pwd
/root
[root@localhost ~]#