symlink(2)
symlink --
make a symbolic link to a file
Synopsis
#include <unistd.h>
int symlink(const char *name1, const char *name2);
Description
symlink creates
a symbolic link
name2
to the file
name1.
Either name may be an arbitrary pathname, the files need not
be on the same file system, and name1 may be nonexistent.
The file to which the symbolic link points is
used when an
open(2)
operation is performed on the link.
A
stat(2)
on a symbolic link returns the linked-to file, while an
lstat
returns information about the link itself. This can lead to
surprising
results when a symbolic link is made to a directory.
To avoid confusion in programs, the
readlink(2)
call can be used to read the contents of a symbolic link.
If the file named by name2 does not exist, it is created.
The permission mode of name2 is 777 (see
creat(2)).
Return values
On success, symlink returns 0.
On failure, symlink returns -1 and sets errno to identify the error.
In the following conditions, symlink fails and sets errno to:
- EACCES
-
Search permission is denied for a component of the path prefix of
name2.
- EACCES
-
Write access is denied on the directory in which the new file is to be
created.
- EACCES
-
The level of the new file is not within the file system's level
range, and the calling process does not have appropriate privilege
(P_FSYSRANGE).
- EEXIST
-
The file referred to by
name2
already exists.
- EFAULT
-
name1
or
name2
points outside the allocated address space for the process.
- EIO
-
An I/Oerror occurs while reading from or writing to the file system.
- ELOOP
-
Too many symbolic links are encountered in translating
name2.
- ENAMETOOLONG
-
The length of the name1 or name2 argument exceeds {PATH_MAX},
or the
length of a name1 or name2 component exceeds {NAME_MAX} while
(_POSIX_NO_TRUNC) is in effect.
- ENOENT
-
A component of the path prefix of
name2
does not exist.
- ENOSPC
-
The directory in which the entry for the new symbolic link is being placed
cannot be extended because no space is left on the file system
containing the directory.
- ENOSPC
-
The new symbolic link cannot be created because
no space is left on the file system which will contain the link.
- ENOSPC
-
There are no free inodes on the file system on which the file is being created.
- ENOSYS
-
The file system does not support symbolic links
- ENOTDIR
-
A component of the path prefix of
name2
is not a directory.
- EROFS
-
The file
name2
would reside on a read-only file system.
References
cp(1),
link(2),
readlink(2),
realpath(3C),
unlink(2)
30 January 1998
© 1998 The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc. All rights reserved.