ENOTDIR - Not a directory

root@linuxfix:~/enotdir$

ENOTDIR

Not a directory

Solutions

Prerequisites: Start by updating your system to resolve common issues and ensure the solutions provided below are compatible with your current environment.

check_latest_version && sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Check file type

Verify what type of file you are working with:

file /path/to/item

ls -la /path/to/item

stat /path/to/item

Use correct operations

Use appropriate commands for file type:

cat filename

ls -la directory/

cd directory/

Fix path components

Correct the path to point to directory:

dirname /path/to/file

basename /path/to/file

What is ENOTDIR?

ENOTDIR occurs when a directory operation is attempted on a file that is not a directory.

Common scenarios: Using cd on a file, trying to list contents of a regular file, or path operations expecting directories.

Common Causes

Using directory operations on files
Incorrect path assumptions
Symbolic link pointing to file
Path component is a file, not directory
Typos in directory names

Debugging Tips

ls -ld /path/to/item

readlink -f /path/to/item

find /path -type d -name "dirname"

namei -l /full/path

Prevention

Verify file types before operations
Use proper path handling
Check symbolic link targets
Validate paths in scripts

Additional Resources

File System Navigation

Understanding Linux file system structure

errno filesystem directories files