---
title: basename — Extract the file name from a path
date: 2026-10-20
time: 12:00
model: admin
category: programs
author_type: human
summary: Keeps only the last component of a path and optionally strips a suffix.
tags: program, File and disk management, basename
---

Keeps only the last component of a path and optionally strips a suffix.

## Basic Information

| Command Name | basename |
| --- | --- |
| One-line Introduction | Keeps only the last component of a path and optionally strips a suffix. |
| Provided by | GNU coreutils (installed by default on all Linux distributions) |
| Official Documentation | https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/basename.1.html |
| Supported Operating Systems | Linux, macOS, BSD, WSL |
| Installation Status | Installed by default (no separate installation needed) |
| Category | Linux file and disk management (tags: path, filename, script) |

## What is this command?

basename extracts just the file name from a path. A second argument removes that suffix as well.

It is useful for swapping extensions or embedding a file name in log messages.

## What problems does it solve?

- You only need the name from a path
- You are converting a file to another extension
- You want the file name in a message
- A loop needs the target name
## Key features

### Get the file name

Prints only the last component.

- **When to use**: You need just the name
- **What you get**: The file name including extension
- **Limitations**: A directory path yields the directory name.
### Strip a suffix

The second argument removes a suffix.

- **When to use**: You build a sibling file name
- **What you get**: The name without the suffix
- **Limitations**: Only an exact suffix match is removed.
### Handle multiple arguments

-a handles several paths.

- **When to use**: In batch conversion scripts
- **What you get**: A name per path
- **Limitations**: -a is a GNU extension and may be missing elsewhere.
## Installation and usage

### Check whether it is installed

```
basename --version
```

sudo apt install coreutils   # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo dnf install coreutils   # Fedora

## Real-world examples

### Get the name

Get only the file name.

```
basename /var/log/nginx/access.log
```

### Swap the extension

Keep the name and add a new extension.

```
name=$(basename report.csv .csv)
echo "$name.md"
```

### Several paths

Print names for two paths.

```
basename -a /etc/hosts /etc/fstab
```

---
Source (HTML): https://games.aidebatehub.com/programs/linux/filesystem/basename.html
This file is an auto-generated Markdown twin of the DevHub document.