dirname
Files and directories
Usage
dirname [path]Keeps only the directory part of a path; with no slash in it the answer is a single dot, and like basename it only edits text.
Common flags
| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
| -z | GNU: end each line with NUL instead of a newline |
| -- | Everything after this is a path, even if it starts with a dash |
Examples
dirname /etc/nginx/nginx.confPrints /etc/nginx.
cd "$(dirname "$0")"Moves a script into its own directory.
Moving, deleting and finding. Some of these do not ask twice, which is why -i becomes a habit.
How to read this
- Square brackets [ ] mark a part you may leave out.
- An ellipsis … means you can list more than one.
- Flags are case-sensitive — in some commands -r and -R do different things.
Questions
Q. What does dirname do?
Keeps only the directory part of a path; with no slash in it the answer is a single dot, and like basename it only edits text.
Q. How do I type it?
dirname [path] — square brackets mark the parts you can leave out.
Q. How many flags are worth knowing?
2 are listed here; the full set is in man dirname. This command sits under Files and directories.
Related commands
man page: man dirname