---
description: How to check if a File or Directory Exists in Bash
---

# Check if File / Directory Exists

In Bash, you can use the test command to check whether a file exists and determine the type of the file.

The test command takes one of the following syntax forms:

```
test EXPRESSION
[ EXPRESSION ]
[[ EXPRESSION ]]
```

If you want your script to be portable, you should prefer using the old test `[` command, which is available on all POSIX shells. The new upgraded version of the test command `[[` (double brackets) is supported on most modern systems using Bash, Zsh, and Ksh as a default shell.

## Check if File Exists&#x20;

When checking if a file exists, the most commonly used FILE operators are `-e` and `-f`. The first one will check whether a file exists regardless of the type, while the second one will return true only if the FILE is a regular file (not a directory or a device).

The most readable option when checking whether a file exists or not is to use the `test` command in combination with the [`if` statement](https://linuxize.com/post/bash-if-else-statement/) . Any of the snippets below will check whether the `/etc/resolv.conf` file exists:

```
FILE=/etc/resolv.conf
if test -f "$FILE"; then
    echo "$FILE exists."
fi
```

```
FILE=/etc/resolv.conf
if [ -f "$FILE" ]; then
    echo "$FILE exists."
fi
```

```
FILE=/etc/resolv.conf
if [[ -f "$FILE" ]]; then
    echo "$FILE exists."
fi
```

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

```
FILE=/etc/resolv.conf
if [ -f "$FILE" ]; then
    echo "$FILE exists."
else 
    echo "$FILE does not exist."
fi
```

Always use [double quotes](https://linuxize.com/post/echo-command-in-linux-with-examples/) to avoid issues when dealing with files containing whitespace in their names.

You can also use the test command without the if statement. The command after the `&&` operator will only be executed if the [exit status](https://linuxize.com/post/bash-exit/) of the test command is true,

```
test -f /etc/resolv.conf && echo "$FILE exists."
```

```
[ -f /etc/resolv.conf ] && echo "$FILE exists."
```

```
[[ -f /etc/resolv.conf ]] && echo "$FILE exists."
```

If you want to run a series of command after the `&&` operator simply enclose the commands in curly brackets separated by `;` or `&&`:

```
[ -f /etc/resolv.conf ] && { echo "$FILE exist."; cp "$FILE" /tmp/; }
```

Opposite to `&&`, the statement after the `||` operator will only be executed if the exit status of the test command is `false`.

```
[ -f /etc/resolv.conf ] && echo "$FILE exist." || echo "$FILE does not exist."
```

## Check if Directory Exist&#x20;

The operators `-d` allows you to test whether a file is a directory or not.

For example to check whether the `/etc/docker` directory exist you would use:

```
FILE=/etc/docker
if [ -d "$FILE" ]; then
    echo "$FILE is a directory."
fi
```

```
[ -d /etc/docker ] && echo "$FILE is a directory."
```

You can also use the double brackets `[[` instead of a single one `[`.

## Check if File does Not Exist&#x20;

Similar to many other languages, the test expression can be negated using the `!` (exclamation mark) logical not operator:

```
FILE=/etc/docker
if [ ! -f "$FILE" ]; then
    echo "$FILE does not exist."
fi
```

Same as above:

```
[ ! -f /etc/docker ] && echo "$FILE does not exist."
```

## Check if Multiple Files Exist&#x20;

Instead of using complicated nested if/else constructs you can use `-a` (or `&&` with `[[`) to test if multiple files exist:

```
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."
```

## File test operators&#x20;

The test command includes the following 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.

## Resources

{% embed url="https://linuxize.com/post/bash-check-if-file-exists/" %}



