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From: Bart Schaefer <schaefer@brasslantern.com>
Message-id: <130817220559.ZM3201@torch.brasslantern.com>
Date: Sat, 17 Aug 2013 22:05:59 -0700
In-reply-to: <20130818024002.GC3129@solfire>
Comments: In reply to meino.cramer@gmx.de
 "Dereferencing a symlink...or that alike..." (Aug 18,  4:40am)
References: <20130818024002.GC3129@solfire>
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To: zsh-users@zsh.org
Subject: Re: Dereferencing a symlink...or that alike...
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On Aug 18,  4:40am, meino.cramer@gmx.de wrote:
}
} suppose I have the following symlink in my $HOME
} 
}     etcetera -> /etc
} 
} . Is there a way to get back "/etc" only (not the contents
} of /etc/. nor "etcetera") when doing a 'ls' or such?

Depends on what is covered by "or such" ...

    % zmodload zsh/stat
    % zstat +link etcetera
    /etc

However, that prints nothing if the file is not a symbolic link.

I don't know of any external utility that will print *only* the target
of the symlink.  E.g.

    % /usr/bin/stat --format=%N etcetera
    'etcetera' -> '/etc'