LN

Section: User Commands (1)
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BSD mandoc
BSD 4  

NAME

ln - make links  

SYNOPSIS

[-fhns ] source_file [target_file]
[-fhns ] source_file ... [target_dir]  

DESCRIPTION

The utility creates a new directory entry (linked file) which has the same modes as the original file. It is useful for maintaining multiple copies of a file in many places at once without using up storage for the ``copies'' instead, a link ``points'' to the original copy. There are two types of links; hard links and symbolic links. How a link ``points'' to a file is one of the differences between a hard or symbolic link.

The options are as follows:

-f
Unlink any already existing file, permitting the link to occur.
-h
If the target_file or target_dir is a symbolic link, do not follow it. This is most useful with the -f option, to replace a symlink which may point to a directory.
-n
Same as -h for compatibility with other implementations.
-s
Create a symbolic link.

By default makes hard links. A hard link to a file is indistinguishable from the original directory entry; any changes to a file are effective independent of the name used to reference the file. Hard links may not normally refer to directories and may not span file systems.

A symbolic link contains the name of the file to which it is linked. The referenced file is used when an open(2) operation is performed on the link. A stat(2) on a symbolic link will return the linked-to file; an lstat(2) must be done to obtain information about the link. The readlink(2) call may be used to read the contents of a symbolic link. Symbolic links may span file systems and may refer to directories.

Given one or two arguments, creates a link to an existing file source_file If target_file is given, the link has that name; target_file may also be a directory in which to place the link; otherwise it is placed in the current directory. If only the directory is specified, the link will be made to the last component of source_file

Given more than two arguments, makes links in target_dir to all the named source files. The links made will have the same name as the files being linked to.  

SEE ALSO

link(2), lstat(2), readlink(2), stat(2), symlink(2), symlink(7)  

HISTORY

A utility appeared in AT&T System v6 .


 

Index

NAME
SYNOPSIS
DESCRIPTION
SEE ALSO
HISTORY

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Time: 04:29:55 GMT, April 24, 2025