how to find target path of link if the file is a link file

Question

how to find if the file is a link file, and find the path of the target file (actual file pointed by the link file)

Answer 1

os.path.islink (is it a link?) and os.path.realpath (get ultimate pointed to path, regardless of whether it's a link).

If os.path.islink is True, and you only want to follow the first link, use os.readlink.

Answer 2

Use os.lstat(), then inspect the st_mode field.