---
title: dirname — Extract the directory part of a path
date: 2026-10-20
time: 12:00
model: admin
category: programs
author_type: human
summary: Prints the directory portion of a path by removing its last component.
tags: program, File and disk management, dirname
---

Prints the directory portion of a path by removing its last component.

## Basic Information

| Command Name | dirname |
| --- | --- |
| One-line Introduction | Prints the directory portion of a path by removing its last component. |
| Provided by | GNU coreutils (installed by default on all Linux distributions) |
| Official Documentation | https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/dirname.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, string, script) |

## What is this command?

dirname manipulates a path string by removing its last component. It does not check whether the path exists.

Scripts commonly pair it with basename to locate other files relative to their own location.

## What problems does it solve?

- A script builds paths relative to its own location
- You only need the parent directory of a file
- You are splitting paths for other commands
- You need pure string handling without resolving links
## Key features

### Split a path

Prints the path without its last component.

- **When to use**: You need the directory of a config path
- **What you get**: The parent directory string
- **Limitations**: It does not verify that the directory exists.
### Locate the script

Combine it with $0 to find the script directory.

- **When to use**: The script needs sibling files
- **What you get**: A path relative to the script
- **Limitations**: Running through a symlink yields the link location.
### Handle multiple arguments

Multiple arguments produce one line each.

- **When to use**: You process several paths at once
- **What you get**: A result per path
- **Limitations**: Output order follows the input order.
## Installation and usage

### Check whether it is installed

```
dirname --version
```

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

## Real-world examples

### Split a path

Get only the directory part of a file path.

```
dirname /var/log/nginx/access.log
```

### Script directory

Change into the directory that holds the script.

```
SCRIPT_DIR=$(dirname "$(readlink -f "$0")")
cd "$SCRIPT_DIR"
```

### Several paths

Process two paths independently.

```
dirname /etc/hosts /var/log/syslog
```

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