NAME
basename - strip directory and suffix from filenames
SYNOPSIS
basename NAME [SUFFIX]
basename OPTION... NAME...
DESCRIPTION
Print NAME with any leading directory components removed. If specified, also remove a trailing SUFFIX.
Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.
- -a, --multiple
-
support multiple arguments and treat each as a NAME
- -s, --suffix=SUFFIX
-
remove a trailing SUFFIX; implies -a
- -z, --zero
-
end each output line with NUL, not newline
- --help
-
display this help and exit
- --version
-
output version information and exit
EXAMPLES
- basename /usr/bin/sort
-
-> "sort"
- basename include/stdio.h .h
-
-> "stdio"
- basename -s .h include/stdio.h
-
-> "stdio"
- basename -a any/str1 any/str2
-
-> "str1" followed by "str2"
AUTHOR
Written by David MacKenzie.
REPORTING BUGS
Report bugs to: <[email protected]>.
Report any translation bugs to: <https://translationproject.org/team/>.
GNU coreutils home page: <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>
General help using GNU software: <https://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>
COPYRIGHT
Copyright © 2026 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.
SEE ALSO
Full documentation <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/basename>
or available locally via: info '(coreutils) basename invocation'