Which command can show the target of a symbolic link in a detailed listing?

• A. ls -l
• B. readlink
• C. ls -d
• D. cat

Answer: (A)

Long listings reveal symbolic link targets. When you run ls -l on a symlink, the output includes an arrow and the destination (for example, linkname -> /path/to/target), showing exactly where the link points. That’s why this command is the best for showing the target in a detailed listing. Readlink prints only the target path itself, not a full listing; ls -d shows the link entry without resolving the target; and cat displays the contents of the target file, not the link’s destination.