PWD(1) | General Commands Manual | PWD(1)

# NAME

`pwd` — return working directory name

# SYNOPSIS

`pwd` | [`-LP`]

# DESCRIPTION

The `pwd` utility prints the absolute pathname of the current working directory to the standard output.

The options are as follows:

`-L`
  If the `PWD` environment variable is an absolute pathname that references the current directory and doesn't contain path components of "." or "..", then `PWD` is printed as the name of the current directory. Otherwise, act as if the `-P` option was given.
`-P`
  Print the physical path to the current working directory, with symbolic links in the path resolved.

The `-L` and `-P` options override each other and the command's actions are determined by the last one specified. The default if no options are given is `-P`.

For an explanation of the directory hierarchy, see hier(7).

# ENVIRONMENT

`PWD`
  The presumptive logical path to the current working directory.

# EXIT STATUS

The `pwd` utility exits 0 on success, and >0 if an error occurs.

# SEE ALSO

ksh(1), getcwd(3), hier(7)

# STANDARDS

The `pwd` utility is compliant with the IEEE Std 1003.1-2008 (“POSIX.1”) specification, except the standard says the default if no options are given should be to behave as if `-L` had been specified.

# HISTORY

An `pwd` utility appeared in Version 5 AT&T UNIX. Support for the `-L` option was added in OpenBSD 5.6.

# CAVEATS

`pwd` also exists as a built-in to ksh(1), which may have a different default behavior.

May 28, 2014 | Debian