What is a relative pathname?

To refer to a file in a subdirectory of the current working directory, use the name of the subdirectory followed by a slash (/) and the name of the file. For example, to display a file called rain in a subdirectory called red that is located in the current directory:

    % cat red/rain

To refer to a file in the parent directory of the current directory, use "../" followed by the name of the file. For example, the pathname "../rowr" would refer to a file named rowr in the parent of the current working directory. Pathname "../../b" would refer to a file named b in the directory two levels above.

Here is the general procedure for forming a relative pathname:

1. If the destination is not below the current directory, start with one "../" for each level you have to move up the file tree until you reach a directory that is above the target.
2. List all the directories going back down the tree, separated by slashes.
3. End with the name of the target file.

John Shipman, john@nmt.edu Last updated: 1995/12/04 19:39:34 UT URL: http://www.nmt.edu/tcc/help/unix/relpath.html