UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

hi all:

i am newbie here.

what is the difference between "/something-1/something-2" and "/something-1/something-2/"? they seem to the same but somehow there are something different. i have following scenario:

on one machine, it displayed error message with "/" at the end, but provided desired outcome with no "/" at the end:

Code:

% ls -al /var/db/scripts/import/
ls: /var/db/scripts/import/: No such file or directory
% ls -al /var/db/scripts/import
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel  27 Sep  8  2007 /var/db/scripts/import -> /usr/libexec/scripts/import

thanks!

/var/db/scripts/import here is a symbolic link to /usr/libexec/scripts/import. Can you show us what does this show:

Code:

ls -l /usr/libexec/scripts/import

thanks. actually the directory of /usr/libexec/scripts doesn't exist and i knew it doesn't exist. but i am wondering why it gave me error when i use "/" at the end.

With the trailing slash, the pathname can only match a directory (there is none, therefore the diagnostic message). Without the trailing slash, the pathname is allowed to match any file type, including the existing symlink.

Regards,
Alister

---------- Post updated at 01:55 PM ---------- Previous update was at 01:28 PM ----------

POSIX Pathname Resolution (section 4.11):

Regards,
Alister

thanks!