Node __dirname, process.cwd() are reporting actual directory instead of symlinked one

Question

"Simple" question -- I'm trying to get the path to a directory of a node script, but when I run from a symlinked directory, I keep getting the path to the physical file instead of the path to the symlinked structure. How do I get the symlinked path?

/path/to/symlink --> /path/to/real

/path/to/symlink> node echo.js

# echo.js
console.log( __dirname );     // /path/to/real
console.log( process.cwd() ); // /path/to/real

[edit] Just for clarification of my own sanity:

$ mkdir test
$ cd test
test$ mkdir a
test$ ln -s a b
test$ cd b
b$ node
> process.cwd()
'/test/a'

Isn’t that the _purpose_ of a symlink, that it is largely _transparent_ to the application accessing it (as long as no specific measures are taken to check whether it’s a symlink or not first) …? — CBroe, Jun 09 '14 at 01:23
@loganfsmyth -- OSX 10.10, it's _possible_, though I think unlikely, that it's an issue with the Yosemite beta — , Jun 09 '14 at 01:25
@zyklus Ugg, sorry ignore my last comment, I just screwed up my test. — loganfsmyth, Jun 09 '14 at 01:33
@BlackMamba -- I'm not questioning the output, I'm asking how to get the linked path — , Jun 09 '14 at 01:34

score 6 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 14 '14 at 12:44

6

You can get symlink path through process.env.PWD on OSX.

Windows looks as has no this issue.

answered Oct 14 '14 at 12:44

Roman Dvornov

131
1
5

The directory in which the file is symlinked, and I want the symlinked directory path, not the original directory path. – Aditya Mittal Apr 06 '22 at 23:43
PLEASE take a look at [this answer](https://stackoverflow.com/a/31436403/177710) on the limits of using `process.env.PWD` - in short, it never changes once a script has started to run. – Oliver Jan 03 '23 at 10:43

score 2 · Answer 2 · edited Jan 13 '23 at 09:35

2

const { execSync } = require('child_process');

execSync('pwd').toString()

Running pwd as a child process returns the current directory with symlinks.

edited Jan 13 '23 at 09:35

Oliver

9,239
9
69
100

answered Mar 05 '19 at 22:33

SubHero

51
3

Node __dirname, process.cwd() are reporting actual directory instead of symlinked one

2 Answers2