How do absolute and relative paths differ, and why does the working directory matter in scripts?

An absolute path starts at the filesystem root, while a relative path is interpreted from the process’s current working directory. A script launched by a scheduler or service may start in a different directory from an interactive shell, making relative paths fail or target the wrong file. Resolve paths deliberately from configuration or a known script location, and quote shell variables containing paths. Avoid assuming a user’s home directory or interactive environment is available. Use explicit checks before writing or deleting anything based on a constructed path.