$ . "$TESTDIR/helper.sh" Passing a linked file is rejected. We need a second path not under what will be $HOME $ EXTDIR="${CRAMTMP}2" > mkdir -p "$EXTDIR" > echo 'Content' > "$EXTDIR/example" > ln -s "$EXTDIR/example" "$HOME/.example" $ mkrc .example '.example' is a symlink. Cannot process file. [1] $ refute "is a symlink" -h $HOME/.dotfiles/.example Passing a file in one linked dir is rejected $ mkdir "$HOME/.config" > ln -s "$EXTDIR/" "$HOME/.config/tmpdir" $ mkrc -v .config/tmpdir/example '.config/tmpdir/example' path contains a symlink (tmpdir). Cannot process file. [1] $ refute "is a symlink" -h "$HOME/.dotfiles/config/tmpdir/example"