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Using Symbolic Links

The cyan files in the /bin listing represent another very common file type in Linux called a symbolic link. A symbolic link allows a single given file to appear in many places or under many names at once, without taking up any additional space on your hard drive. A symbolic link is often used to conserve disk space; other times, it's used simply for convenience. When a symbolic link points to an executable file, it enables the command to take on several identities or behaviors at once, depending on whether you type the name of the original command to use it or the name of the symbolic link.

Nearly anything done to a symbolic link also affects the original file, with the notable exception of removal. Using rm to remove a symbolic ...