How to get/set logical directory path in python

/real/path/to/dir

/linked/path/to/dir

>>> import os
>>> os.chdir('/linked/path/to/dir')
>>> print os.getcwd()
/real/path/to/dir

import os
from subprocess import Popen, PIPE

class CwdKeeper(object):
    def __init__(self):
        self._cwd = os.environ.get("PWD")
        if self._cwd is None: # no environment. fall back to calling pwd on shell
           self._cwd = Popen('pwd', stdout=PIPE).communicate()[0].strip()
        self._os_getcwd = os.getcwd
        self._os_chdir = os.chdir

    def chdir(self, path):
        if not self._cwd:
            return self._os_chdir(path)
        p = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(self._cwd, path))
        result = self._os_chdir(p)
        self._cwd = p
        os.environ["PWD"] = p
        return result

    def getcwd(self):
        if not self._cwd:
            return self._os_getcwd()
        return self._cwd

cwd = CwdKeeper()
print cwd.getcwd()
# use only cwd.chdir and cwd.getcwd from now on.
# monkeypatch os if you want:
os.chdir = cwd.chdir
os.getcwd = cwd.getcwd
# now you can use os.chdir and os.getcwd as normal.