How to Check if a File or Directory Exists in Bash

While working with Bash and shell scripts, you might need to check whether a directory or a file exists or not on your filesystem.

In order to check whether a file or a directory exists with Bash, you can use test command.

Following is the basic syntax for the test command:

test EXPRESSION
[ EXPRESSION ]
[[ EXPRESSION ]]

Check If File Exists#

To check if file exists, you have to use -f FILE operator. It will return true only if the FILE is a regular file.

if [[ -f <file> ]]
then
    echo "<file> exists on your filesystem."
fi

For example, you want to check if the file /etc/passwd exists on your file system or not, you can check by any of the following stuff:

if test -f "/etc/passwd"; then
    echo "File is exists on your system."
fi

if [ -f "/etc/passwd" ]; then
    echo "File is exists on your system."
fi

if [[ -f "/etc/passwd" ]]; then
    echo "File is exists on your system."
fi

If you want to perform a different action based on whether the file exists or not simply use the if/then construct:

if [ -f "/etc/passwd" ]; then
    echo "File is exists on your system."
else 
    echo "File is NOT exists on your system."
fi

Check File Existence using shorter forms#

You can also check file existence without using the if statement. If exist status true then after the && operator will be executed.

test -f /etc/passwd && echo "This file exists."

[ -f /etc/passwd ] && echo "This file exists."

[[ -f /etc/passwd ]] && echo "This file exists."

Check if Directory Exist#

To check whether directory is exist or not, you have to use -d operator.

Following is the basic syntax for check directory exist:

if [[ -d "$DIRECTORY" ]]
then
    echo "$DIRECTORY exists on your filesystem."
fi

For instance, to check /etc directory exist on your system, you would run:

if [[ -d /etc ]]
then
    echo "/etc exists on your filesystem."
fi

Check if Multiple Files Exist#

Sometimes, you have required to check multiple files exists on your system or not. You can do it using && operator.

if [ -f /etc/resolv.conf -a -f /etc/hosts ]; then
    echo "Both files exist."
fi

if [[ -f /etc/resolv.conf && -f /etc/hosts ]]; then
    echo "Both files exist."
fi

Equivalent variants without using the IF statement:

[ -f /etc/resolv.conf -a -f /etc/hosts ] && echo "Both files exist."

[[ -f /etc/resolv.conf && -f /etc/hosts ]] && echo "Both files exist."

Check If File Does Not Exist#

You also can check reverse condition for does not exists using the ! (exclamation mark) logical not operator:

if [ ! -f "/etc/passwd" ]; then
    echo "This file does not exist."
fi

In short form you can do as below:

[ ! -f /etc/passwd ] && echo "This file does not exist."

File test operators#

Following are the FILE operators that allow you to test for particular types of files:

• -b FILE – True if the FILE exists and is a special block file.
• -c FILE – True if the FILE exists and is a special character file.
• -d FILE – True if the FILE exists and is a directory.
• -e FILE – True if the FILE exists and is a file, regardless of type (node, directory, socket, etc.).
• -f FILE – True if the FILE exists and is a regular file (not a directory or device).
• -G FILE – True if the FILE exists and has the same group as the user running the command.
• -h FILE – True if the FILE exists and is a symbolic link.
• -g FILE – True if the FILE exists and has set-group-id (sgid) flag set.
• -k FILE – True if the FILE exists and has a sticky bit flag set.
• -L FILE – True if the FILE exists and is a symbolic link.
• -O FILE – True if the FILE exists and is owned by the user running the command.
• -p FILE – True if the FILE exists and is a pipe.
• -r FILE – True if the FILE exists and is readable.
• -S FILE – True if the FILE exists and is a socket.
• -s FILE – True if the FILE exists and has nonzero size.
• -u FILE – True if the FILE exists, and set-user-id (suid) flag is set.
• -w FILE – True if the FILE exists and is writable.
• -x FILE – True if the FILE exists and is executable.

Conclusion#

You learned how to check if a file or directory exists in Bash.

If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to leave a comment.