2018-11-18 15:56:19 +00:00
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---
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layout: page
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category-page: fs
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category-title: FileSystem
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tags: link symbolic hard file shortcut
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author: Riccardo Antonio Vivanco
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title: ln
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2018-11-18 20:38:56 +00:00
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previous-page: pages/fs/du.html
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next-page: pages/fs/ls.html
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2018-11-18 15:56:19 +00:00
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---
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The <code>ln</code> command is used to create a link of a file or directory.
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A link is used to create multiple copies of a file in
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different places without using more storage than that needed to store a single copy
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of the given file.<br>
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The copies are instead a link that points to the original file. If the original is deleted,
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the copies will point to a non-existant file and become pointless.<br>
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The name of the command stands for <i>LiNk</i><br><br>
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There are 2 kinds of links: <b>hard</b> and <b>symbolic</b>.<br>
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In an hard link, the original is indistinguishable from the linked copy, and the changes
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made to the file are the same, regardless of whether the modified file is the
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original or the linked copy. Hard links are not used for directories.
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<code>ln</code> creates hard links by default<br>
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The symbolic link (symlink) instead contains the path to the original file and referencing the linked copy
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will make the referencer point to the original file instead.<br>
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<pre>
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ln [flags] [source1] [source2] ... [target_dir]
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ln [flags] [source] [target]
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link [source] [target]
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</pre>
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The <code>link</code> command can be used instead of <code>ln</code>, but flags and multiple
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source files won't be supported.<br>
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If multiple sources are supplied, the last parameter of the command must be a directory inside
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which the links will be created.
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<h3>Flags</h3>
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<ul>
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<li><b>-F</b>: overwrites the [target] file / directory if it already exists.</li>
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<li><b>-h</b>: if the [source] is a symlink, do not follow it</li>
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<li><b>-f</b>: if the [target] already exists, unlink it before replacing it.</li>
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<li><b>-i</b>: ask for confirmation in case the [target] file already exists.</li>
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<li><b>-s</b>: creates a symbolic instead of hard link</li>
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</ul>
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