---
name: "pwd"
section: "1"
platform: "openbsd"
package: "man"
version: "8.0-current-20261101"
release: "OpenBSD 8.0-current (2026-11-01)"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd", "openbsd", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/pwd"
---

# pwd(1)

return working directory name

## 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)](/hier/7.md).

## 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)](/ksh/1.md), [getcwd(3)](/getcwd/3.md), [hier(7)](/hier/7.md)

## 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)](/ksh/1.md), which may have a different default behavior.