1.i Create hard and soft links

...

You can think a hard link as an additional name for an existing file. Hard links are associating two or more file names with the same inode . You can create one or more hard links for a single file. Hard links cannot be created for directories and files on a different filesystem or partition.

A soft link is something like a shortcut in Windows. It is an indirect pointer to a file or directory. Unlike a hard link, a symbolic link can point to a file or a directory on a different filesystem or partition.

• Hardlink
  • Points to the same inode (2 files with same inode)
  • Cannot be directories
  • Cannot cross filesystems
  • Deleting the original (or hard link) file will not remove the inode (only if both are removed)
• Softlink
  • Is just a pointer
  • Deleting a symlink will not delete the file
  • Deleting the original file will not delete the link (but link will be broken)
  • Permission is shown as lrwxrwxrwx and reflects the actual file permission

Deleting a link (hard or soft) does not delete the file

Create a hard link to a given file (or directory)

ln [source_file] [symbolic_link]
Copy

Create a symbolic link to a given file (or directory)

ln -s [source_file] [symbolic_link]
Copy

To delete/remove symbolic links use either the unlink or rm command.

unlink symlink_to_remove
Copy

Using the rm command achieves the same

rm symlink_to_remove
Copy

⬅️ Back