FS_GETFID(1)

💖 FS_GETFID 💖

okay so bestie, welcome to fs_getfid — the AFS command reference page that tells you how to peek at the fid for a given path in AFS. yes it's from the OpenAFS manual set. yes it's iconic. let's go 🦋

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✨ NAME ✨

fs_getfid — display the fid for a given path in AFS 🌸

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

fs getfid [-path] path [-literal] [-help]

like that's the whole vibe. three little flags, one path, no drama 💅

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✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

okay so here's the tea 🫖 — the fs getfid command displays the FID for a given path in AFS.

and what even is a FID, you ask? it's the internal identifier that AFS uses, and it encodes two things: the volume name and the file within a volume. that's it. that's the whole thing. internal, behind-the-scenes, but lowkey the most useful little number when you're debugging, no cap. 👑

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✨ CAUTIONS ✨

⚠️ heads up bestie — this command is not available on Windows prior to version 1.5.60. if you're on something older than that, it's giving "command not found" and there's literally nothing we can do about it. 😭

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✨ OPTIONS ✨

• -path path — the path of the file (or directory). yes, that's the path in "fid for a given path". you knew that. i'm just being thorough. 🎀
• -literal — for a symlink or a mount point, this evaluates the specified object itself rather than the object it refers to. so you get the symlink, not where it points. the way that changes everything actually — 🪞✨
• -help — prints the online help for this command. and here's the kicker: all other valid options are ignored when you use it. periodt. 🫶

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✨ OUTPUT ✨

the output has three lil pieces of info: the name of the file or directory, the FID, and the cell containing the FID. so cute, so tidy. 🍓

and ooh, the Windows version does something extra — it also outputs the object type, instead of just using "File" to describe literally every object. main character behaviour honestly. 👑

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✨ EXAMPLES ✨

🐧 On Unix

% fs getfid .
File . (536870918.1.1) located in cell example.com

% fs getfid /afs/example.com/foo
File /afs/example.com/foo (536870918.20404.20997) located in cell example.com

🪟 On Windows

% fs.exe getfid \\afs\example.edu\user\b\o\bob \
    \\afs\example.org\usr\bob\linktests\broken
Directory \\afs\example.edu\user\b\o\bob (537235559.1.1) contained in cell example.edu
fs: File '\\afs\example.org\usr\bob\linktests\broken' doesn't exist

% fs.exe getfid \\afs\example.edu\user\b\o\bob \
    \\afs\example.org\usr\bob\linktests\broken -literal
Mountpoint \\afs\example.edu\user\b\o\bob (536873032.1162.16997) contained in cell example.edu
Symlink \\afs\example.org\usr\bob\linktests\broken (536874416.27618.488969) contained in cell example.org

see how the -literal run switched it up? without it, the broken symlink just didn't exist. with it, boom — Symlink and Mountpoint labels showed up and everything resolved. that's the literal effect, bestie. 🌈

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✨ PRIVILEGE REQUIRED ✨

the issuer must have read access in the directory containing the path that's being resolved. no read access in that directory? no fids for you. 🙈

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✨ COPYRIGHT ✨

this document was written by Steven Jenkins, and it's released under the IBM Public License Version 1.0. also shoutout to Jeffrey Altman, who made several suggestions and additions. we love a collaborative author moment. 💜

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and that's the page, bestie!! 🎀 ngl this one was written for OpenAFS and the version/date stamp at the bottom said 2026-07-27 for FS_GETFID(1) — go forth, get those fids, slay the debugging session, and remember: the vibe check always passes as long as you have read access. periodt. ✨💅🦋