---
name: "shtool-path"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "shtool"
version: "2.0.8-10"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/shtool-path"
---

# shtool-path(1)

GNU shtool command dealing with shell path variables

## NAME

shtool-path - GNU shtool command dealing with shell path variables

## SYNOPSIS

**shtool path** \[**-s**\|**--suppress**\] \[**-r**\|**--reverse**\] \[**-d**\|**--dirname**\] \[**-b**\|**--basename**\] \[**-m**\|**--magic**\] \[**-p**\|**--path** *path*\] *str* \[*str* ...\]

## DESCRIPTION

This command deals with shell `$PATH` variables. It can find a program through one or more filenames given by one or more *str* arguments. It prints the absolute filesystem path to the program displayed on `"stdout"` plus an exit code of 0 if it was really found.

## OPTIONS

The following command line options are available.

- **-s**, **--suppress**

  Suppress output. Useful to only test whether a program exists with the help of the return code.

- **-r**, **--reverse**

  Transform a forward path to a subdirectory into a reverse path.

- **-d**, **--dirname**

  Output the directory name of *str*.

- **-b**, **--basename**

  Output the base name of *str*.

- **-m**, **--magic**

  Enable advanced magic search for "`"perl"`" and "`"cpp"`".

- **-p**, **--path** *path*

  Search in *path*. Default is to search in `$PATH`.

## EXAMPLE

```
 #   shell script
 awk=`shtool path -p "${PATH}:." gawk nawk awk`
 perl=`shtool path -m perl`
 cpp=`shtool path -m cpp`
 revpath=`shtool path -r path/to/subdir`
```

## HISTORY

The **GNU shtool** **path** command was originally written by Ralf S. Engelschall \<rse@engelschall.com\> in 1998 for **Apache**. It was later taken over into **GNU shtool**.

## SEE ALSO

[**shtool**(1)](/shtool/1.md), [**which**(1)](/which/1.md).