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- LN (1)
-
- NAME
-
- ln - make links
-
- SYNOPSIS
-
- ln [ s ] source_file [ ] ln [ s ] source_file ... [ ]
- DESCRIPTION
-
- The ln utility creates a new directory entry (linked file)
- which inherits the same modes as the orginal file. It is useful
- for maintaining multiple copies of a file in many places at once
- - without 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.
- Option available:
- s - Create a symbolic link.
- By default ln makes links. A hard link to a file is indistin-
- guishable 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 refer to directories (unless the proper
- incantations are supplied) 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 re-
- turn the linked-to file; an lstat (2) must be done to obtain in-
- formation 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, ln 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, ln 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
-
- rm (1) , cp (1) , mv (1) , link (2) , readlink (2) , stat (2) ,
- symlink (2)
- HISTORY
-
- A ln command appeared in
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