Command line "open DIRNAME" fails (but "open FILENAME" is OK) In a terminal (or xterm, or emacs) window, the command:
  open dirname
(where dirname is . or /tmp or /home/fred) doesn't open the the specified directory in Finder.  However:


Opening a non-directory file works fine, for all sorts of file types.
"open dirname" used to work.  Alas I can't identify what had changed, but AFAIR there was no OS upgrade or bash upgrade.
It doesn't work as root or as normal user.


GNU bash, version 3.2.57(1)-release (x86_64-apple-darwin15)
Model Identifier:   iMac8,1
System Version: OS X 10.11.6 (15G22010)
Kernel Version: Darwin 15.6.0
from man open:


 -R  Reveals the file(s) in the Finder instead of opening them.



So try open -R '/home/fred'

(Technically you don't need the single-quotes around /home/fred unless there are spaces or special characters, but it doesn't hurt to use them anyway.)