Describe similarities and differences between absolute filenames and relative filenames.

An absolute filename is a name for a file on a computer system. This name includes the complete path from the root to the current file and there is a unique absolute filename for every file in the system. In contrast, a relative filename gives you the name of a file from the perspective of where you currently are in the directory system. If you are in a certain folders, the relative filename will include all the folders on the path from your current location to the file you are describing.

A path in Linux platforms is a sequence of directory names that usually leads to a directory or a file.

Simiralities

Common between these two is that all directories in the file system form a tree that begins at the root directory.

Differences

Absolute file name specifies all the directory names beginning from the root directory while relative file names specify the position of the file in the tree relative to default directory.

On Linux, an absolute file name starts with a ‘~’ or a ‘/’ while relative file name does not

An absolute path can be used from any location whereas a relative file name, a directory should be present where one should specify relative to that present working directory.