Re: A request for addition of a command

[Pádraig Brady]

Jim Meyering wrote:
> Kamil Dudka wrote:
> 
>> Actually I don't know if we have some utility equivalent to
>> canonicalize_file_name() function in coreutils now.
> 
> We do.  It's called readlink:
> 
> Usage: readlink [OPTION]... FILE
> Display value of a symbolic link on standard output.
> 
>   -f, --canonicalize            canonicalize by following every symlink in
>                                 every component of the given name recursively;
>                                 all but the last component must exist
>   -e, --canonicalize-existing   canonicalize by following every symlink in
>                                 every component of the given name recursively,
>                                 all components must exist
>   -m, --canonicalize-missing    canonicalize by following every symlink in
>                                 every component of the given name recursively,
>                                 without requirements on components existence
>   -n, --no-newline              do not output the trailing newline
>   -q, --quiet,
>   -s, --silent                  suppress most error messages
>   -v, --verbose                 report error messages
>       --help     display this help and exit
>       --version  output version information and exit

Hi Robert,

I new of the existence of the realpath(1) command on FreeBSD,
but I just noticed that it was added to debian, by splitting
it from the dwww package (that no longer needs it):
http://packages.debian.org/lenny/realpath

I was wondering why add this now, when readlink(1)
has been available on linux all along?
Perhaps it would be better to add an option to readlink
to not resolve symlinks?

thanks,
Pádraig.