Linux in a Nutshell, Fifth Edition

ln | 249

Linux

Commands

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ln

ln [options] sourcename [destname]

ln [options] sourcenames destdirectory

Create pseudonyms (links) for files, allowing them to be accessed

by different names. Links may be “hard” or “soft.” A hard link

creates two names for the same file, and a soft, or symbolic, link

creates a second file which acts as a shortcut to the first.

The first form links sourcename to destname, where destname is

usually either a new filename or (by default) a file in the current

directory with the same name as sourcename.Ifdestname is an

existing file, it is overwritten; if destname is an existing directory, a

link named sourcename is created in that directory. The second

form creates links in destdirectory, each link having the same name

as the file specified.

Options

-b, --backup[=control]

Back up any existing files. When using the long version of the

command, the optional control parameter controls the kind of

backup. When no control is specified, ln will attempt to read

the control value from the VERSION_CONTROL environ-

ment variable. Accepted values are:

none, off

Never make backups.

numbered, t

Make numbered backups.

existing, nil

Match existing backups, numbered or simple.

simple, never

Always make simple backups.

-d, -F, --directory

Allow hard links to directories. Available to privileged ...