How to get a full path to a file by name in Linux [duplicate]

This question already has an answer here:

bash/fish command to print absolute path to a file

17 answers

I was given a task to write script that works similar to "which" command in terminal. Here is what I already wrote:

#! /bin/bash

FILE=$1

for i in $PATH 

do 

if [[ "$i" -eq "FILE" ]] 

then 

echo …

Here I need to get a full path to a file that has been found. How could i get it? Thanks in advice.

asked Nov 20 '18 at 13:02

Mak

276

marked as duplicate by omajid, tripleee bash
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Nov 20 '18 at 13:28

This question has been asked before and already has an answer. If those answers do not fully address your question, please ask a new question.

2

Use realpath.

– Maroun
Nov 20 '18 at 13:03

Link should be to the shell version: man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/realpath.1.html. Or you can also use readlink -f.

– omajid
Nov 20 '18 at 13:19

2

Your for loop is confused. The PATH variable contains a single string; to loop over the individual components, you have to split it on colons. Then you have to add the name of the file you are looking for to the end of each extracted directory. The resulting paths are typically (but not necessarily) already absolute. The -eq comparison operator is for numeric equality; use = for string comparison. And finally use "$FILE" with a dollar sign to examine your variable (but you should probably prefer lower case for your private variables).

– tripleee
Nov 20 '18 at 13:30

See also stackoverflow.com/questions/33469374/…

– tripleee
Nov 20 '18 at 13:42

add a comment |

This question already has an answer here:

bash/fish command to print absolute path to a file

17 answers

I was given a task to write script that works similar to "which" command in terminal. Here is what I already wrote:

#! /bin/bash

FILE=$1

for i in $PATH 

do 

if [[ "$i" -eq "FILE" ]] 

then 

echo …

Here I need to get a full path to a file that has been found. How could i get it? Thanks in advice.

asked Nov 20 '18 at 13:02

Mak

276

marked as duplicate by omajid, tripleee bash
Users with the bash badge can single-handedly close bash questions as duplicates and reopen them as needed.

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Nov 20 '18 at 13:28

This question has been asked before and already has an answer. If those answers do not fully address your question, please ask a new question.

2

Use realpath.

– Maroun
Nov 20 '18 at 13:03

Link should be to the shell version: man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/realpath.1.html. Or you can also use readlink -f.

– omajid
Nov 20 '18 at 13:19

2

Your for loop is confused. The PATH variable contains a single string; to loop over the individual components, you have to split it on colons. Then you have to add the name of the file you are looking for to the end of each extracted directory. The resulting paths are typically (but not necessarily) already absolute. The -eq comparison operator is for numeric equality; use = for string comparison. And finally use "$FILE" with a dollar sign to examine your variable (but you should probably prefer lower case for your private variables).

– tripleee
Nov 20 '18 at 13:30

See also stackoverflow.com/questions/33469374/…

– tripleee
Nov 20 '18 at 13:42

add a comment |

This question already has an answer here:

bash/fish command to print absolute path to a file

17 answers

I was given a task to write script that works similar to "which" command in terminal. Here is what I already wrote:

#! /bin/bash

FILE=$1

for i in $PATH 

do 

if [[ "$i" -eq "FILE" ]] 

then 

echo …

Here I need to get a full path to a file that has been found. How could i get it? Thanks in advice.

asked Nov 20 '18 at 13:02

Mak

276

This question already has an answer here:

bash/fish command to print absolute path to a file

17 answers

I was given a task to write script that works similar to "which" command in terminal. Here is what I already wrote:

#! /bin/bash

FILE=$1

for i in $PATH 

do 

if [[ "$i" -eq "FILE" ]] 

then 

echo …

Here I need to get a full path to a file that has been found. How could i get it? Thanks in advice.

This question already has an answer here:

bash/fish command to print absolute path to a file

17 answers

linux bash

asked Nov 20 '18 at 13:02

Mak

276

asked Nov 20 '18 at 13:02

Mak

276

asked Nov 20 '18 at 13:02

Mak

276

asked Nov 20 '18 at 13:02

Mak

276

asked Nov 20 '18 at 13:02

Mak

276

marked as duplicate by omajid, tripleee bash
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Nov 20 '18 at 13:28

This question has been asked before and already has an answer. If those answers do not fully address your question, please ask a new question.

marked as duplicate by omajid, tripleee bash
Users with the bash badge can single-handedly close bash questions as duplicates and reopen them as needed.

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Nov 20 '18 at 13:28

This question has been asked before and already has an answer. If those answers do not fully address your question, please ask a new question.

2

Use realpath.

– Maroun
Nov 20 '18 at 13:03

Link should be to the shell version: man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/realpath.1.html. Or you can also use readlink -f.

– omajid
Nov 20 '18 at 13:19

2

Your for loop is confused. The PATH variable contains a single string; to loop over the individual components, you have to split it on colons. Then you have to add the name of the file you are looking for to the end of each extracted directory. The resulting paths are typically (but not necessarily) already absolute. The -eq comparison operator is for numeric equality; use = for string comparison. And finally use "$FILE" with a dollar sign to examine your variable (but you should probably prefer lower case for your private variables).

– tripleee
Nov 20 '18 at 13:30

See also stackoverflow.com/questions/33469374/…

– tripleee
Nov 20 '18 at 13:42

add a comment |

2

Use realpath.

– Maroun
Nov 20 '18 at 13:03

Link should be to the shell version: man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/realpath.1.html. Or you can also use readlink -f.

– omajid
Nov 20 '18 at 13:19

2

Your for loop is confused. The PATH variable contains a single string; to loop over the individual components, you have to split it on colons. Then you have to add the name of the file you are looking for to the end of each extracted directory. The resulting paths are typically (but not necessarily) already absolute. The -eq comparison operator is for numeric equality; use = for string comparison. And finally use "$FILE" with a dollar sign to examine your variable (but you should probably prefer lower case for your private variables).

– tripleee
Nov 20 '18 at 13:30

See also stackoverflow.com/questions/33469374/…

– tripleee
Nov 20 '18 at 13:42

Use realpath.

– Maroun
Nov 20 '18 at 13:03

Link should be to the shell version: man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/realpath.1.html. Or you can also use readlink -f.

– omajid
Nov 20 '18 at 13:19

Your for loop is confused. The PATH variable contains a single string; to loop over the individual components, you have to split it on colons. Then you have to add the name of the file you are looking for to the end of each extracted directory. The resulting paths are typically (but not necessarily) already absolute. The -eq comparison operator is for numeric equality; use = for string comparison. And finally use "$FILE" with a dollar sign to examine your variable (but you should probably prefer lower case for your private variables).

– tripleee
Nov 20 '18 at 13:30

See also stackoverflow.com/questions/33469374/…

– tripleee
Nov 20 '18 at 13:42

add a comment |

1 Answer
1

active

oldest

votes

-1

If you're willing to use Python, use Terminal's locate program using subprocess, like:

import subprocess



def find_filepath(file_name):

    outcome = (subprocess.Popen(["locate", file_name], stdout=subprocess.PIPE).communicate()[0]).decode()

    return outcome.split("n")

This should fetch a list of Absolute file path.

answered Nov 20 '18 at 13:13

Random Nerd

1314

locate my find multiple files with the same name. It doesn't pick one based on the order of appearance in $PATH

– omajid
Nov 20 '18 at 13:17

I agree but what if there are multiple files with same name, hence to avoid ambiguity why not simultaneously check for duplicates as well, and then just slice out the one required based on index position (maybe even delete rest, as per need).

– Random Nerd
Nov 20 '18 at 13:20

You are right, but that's not how PATH or which work. The index of locate doesn't correspond to the one from searching PATH :/

– omajid
Nov 20 '18 at 13:22

My answer was keeping in mind a bigger picture, but again you're right, as OP asked for something similar to which, so realpath should be a better and easier alternative.

– Random Nerd
Nov 20 '18 at 13:26

add a comment |

1 Answer
1

active

oldest

votes

1 Answer
1

active

oldest

votes

-1

If you're willing to use Python, use Terminal's locate program using subprocess, like:

import subprocess



def find_filepath(file_name):

    outcome = (subprocess.Popen(["locate", file_name], stdout=subprocess.PIPE).communicate()[0]).decode()

    return outcome.split("n")

This should fetch a list of Absolute file path.

answered Nov 20 '18 at 13:13

Random Nerd

1314

locate my find multiple files with the same name. It doesn't pick one based on the order of appearance in $PATH

– omajid
Nov 20 '18 at 13:17

I agree but what if there are multiple files with same name, hence to avoid ambiguity why not simultaneously check for duplicates as well, and then just slice out the one required based on index position (maybe even delete rest, as per need).

– Random Nerd
Nov 20 '18 at 13:20

You are right, but that's not how PATH or which work. The index of locate doesn't correspond to the one from searching PATH :/

– omajid
Nov 20 '18 at 13:22

My answer was keeping in mind a bigger picture, but again you're right, as OP asked for something similar to which, so realpath should be a better and easier alternative.

– Random Nerd
Nov 20 '18 at 13:26

add a comment |

-1

If you're willing to use Python, use Terminal's locate program using subprocess, like:

import subprocess



def find_filepath(file_name):

    outcome = (subprocess.Popen(["locate", file_name], stdout=subprocess.PIPE).communicate()[0]).decode()

    return outcome.split("n")

This should fetch a list of Absolute file path.

answered Nov 20 '18 at 13:13

Random Nerd

1314

locate my find multiple files with the same name. It doesn't pick one based on the order of appearance in $PATH

– omajid
Nov 20 '18 at 13:17

I agree but what if there are multiple files with same name, hence to avoid ambiguity why not simultaneously check for duplicates as well, and then just slice out the one required based on index position (maybe even delete rest, as per need).

– Random Nerd
Nov 20 '18 at 13:20

You are right, but that's not how PATH or which work. The index of locate doesn't correspond to the one from searching PATH :/

– omajid
Nov 20 '18 at 13:22

My answer was keeping in mind a bigger picture, but again you're right, as OP asked for something similar to which, so realpath should be a better and easier alternative.

– Random Nerd
Nov 20 '18 at 13:26

add a comment |

-1

If you're willing to use Python, use Terminal's locate program using subprocess, like:

import subprocess



def find_filepath(file_name):

    outcome = (subprocess.Popen(["locate", file_name], stdout=subprocess.PIPE).communicate()[0]).decode()

    return outcome.split("n")

This should fetch a list of Absolute file path.

answered Nov 20 '18 at 13:13

Random Nerd

1314

If you're willing to use Python, use Terminal's locate program using subprocess, like:

import subprocess



def find_filepath(file_name):

    outcome = (subprocess.Popen(["locate", file_name], stdout=subprocess.PIPE).communicate()[0]).decode()

    return outcome.split("n")

This should fetch a list of Absolute file path.

answered Nov 20 '18 at 13:13

Random Nerd

1314

answered Nov 20 '18 at 13:13

Random Nerd

1314

answered Nov 20 '18 at 13:13

Random Nerd

1314

answered Nov 20 '18 at 13:13

Random Nerd

1314

locate my find multiple files with the same name. It doesn't pick one based on the order of appearance in $PATH

– omajid
Nov 20 '18 at 13:17

I agree but what if there are multiple files with same name, hence to avoid ambiguity why not simultaneously check for duplicates as well, and then just slice out the one required based on index position (maybe even delete rest, as per need).

– Random Nerd
Nov 20 '18 at 13:20

You are right, but that's not how PATH or which work. The index of locate doesn't correspond to the one from searching PATH :/

– omajid
Nov 20 '18 at 13:22

My answer was keeping in mind a bigger picture, but again you're right, as OP asked for something similar to which, so realpath should be a better and easier alternative.

– Random Nerd
Nov 20 '18 at 13:26

add a comment |

locate my find multiple files with the same name. It doesn't pick one based on the order of appearance in $PATH

– omajid
Nov 20 '18 at 13:17

I agree but what if there are multiple files with same name, hence to avoid ambiguity why not simultaneously check for duplicates as well, and then just slice out the one required based on index position (maybe even delete rest, as per need).

– Random Nerd
Nov 20 '18 at 13:20

You are right, but that's not how PATH or which work. The index of locate doesn't correspond to the one from searching PATH :/

– omajid
Nov 20 '18 at 13:22

My answer was keeping in mind a bigger picture, but again you're right, as OP asked for something similar to which, so realpath should be a better and easier alternative.

– Random Nerd
Nov 20 '18 at 13:26

locate my find multiple files with the same name. It doesn't pick one based on the order of appearance in $PATH

– omajid
Nov 20 '18 at 13:17

I agree but what if there are multiple files with same name, hence to avoid ambiguity why not simultaneously check for duplicates as well, and then just slice out the one required based on index position (maybe even delete rest, as per need).

– Random Nerd
Nov 20 '18 at 13:20

You are right, but that's not how PATH or which work. The index of locate doesn't correspond to the one from searching PATH :/

– omajid
Nov 20 '18 at 13:22

My answer was keeping in mind a bigger picture, but again you're right, as OP asked for something similar to which, so realpath should be a better and easier alternative.

– Random Nerd
Nov 20 '18 at 13:26

add a comment |

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