How to copy Unix file path in OS X Yosemite

Just select the file itself in Finder and press CmdC or go to Edit » Copy. You can then paste the path directly to a terminal window.

Note that this will escape special characters.

If you want the path in human-readable form, you need to do the following:

• Open Utilities/Automator.app
• Create a new Service
• Set it to receive no input from Finder.app
• Drag Run AppleScript from the left pane to the right

• Paste the following into the field:

  tell application "Finder"
      set sel to the selection as text
      set the clipboard to POSIX path of sel
  end tell
  

• It should look like this:

  

• Save the service under any name you like, e.g. Copy human-readable path.

This is part one. Now, set a keyboard shortcut:

• Head to  » System Preferences » Keyboard » Shortcuts
• Go to the Services section and scroll down

• Set a keyboard shortcut for your service

  

Et voilà, now press that shorcut when you need the path of any selected Finder item.

Open up the “Terminal” in Applications > Utilities > Terminal and then drag the file into the window. The full Unix path of the file will show up.

Right-click (or control-click) on the file icon, then hold down the option key. In the pop-up menu that appears there will be a "Copy "filename" as Pathname" menu item. That menu item will put the POSIX path to the item on the clipboard.