The issue of resolving symlinks (symbolic links) is often addressed onthis forum, and on others. Related are the concepts of relative,absolute (or full), and canonical (or resolved) pathnames. Two nowstandard utilities are available, for example in GNU core utilities,to resolve symlinks, and, among other things, produce canonicalpathnames: readlink and realpath.Why do we need canonical paths?Can you give examples where canonical paths are required, and non-canonical absolute paths will not be acceptable?  Side question: why do people get canonical path answers for absolute pathquestions? But is this technology or sociology ?
Canonical paths: why are they needed?
filenames;symlink;path