08-01-2006
Difference between hard link and soft link in unix
Hi All,
Can any one please explain me what is the difference between hard link and soft link in UNIX.
Thanks in advance
Raja Chokalingam.
10 More Discussions You Might Find Interesting
1. UNIX for Advanced & Expert Users
Hi all!
I'd like to know the differences between hard links and soft links. I've already read the ln manpage, but i'm not quite sure of what i understood.
Does a hard link sort of copy the file to a new name, give it the same inode number and same rights?
What exactly should I do to do this:... (3 Replies)
Discussion started by: penguin-friend
3 Replies
2. UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers
I am curious about one thing.
Lets say I have a file file-a to which new generations are created on demand by simply archiving it (ex: file-a.tar.gz) and having the new one created with the same original filename file-a.
Now what I want to know is if I create a hard/soft link to file-a, what... (1 Reply)
Discussion started by: Browser_ice
1 Replies
3. UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers
hello folks
how y'all doin
well i have some questions about symbolic link and hard link
hope some one answer me
i open terminal and join as root
and i wrote ln -s blah blah
then i wrote ls
i see red file called blah blah
but didn't understand what is this can some one explain and... (2 Replies)
Discussion started by: detective linux
2 Replies
4. UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers
Hi
PLease let me know the usage of Hard Link vs Soft Link
i.e what is the basic difference and what happens when one file is changed or deleted in both the cases???
thanks (3 Replies)
Discussion started by: skyineyes
3 Replies
5. UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers
Hi Experts,
Please help me out to find out difference between a hard link and a soft link.
I am new in unix plz help me with some example commands ( for creating such links).
Regards
S.Kamakshi :) (2 Replies)
Discussion started by: kamakshi s
2 Replies
6. UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers
Hi,
Can somebody please help me in knowing the difference between soft (Symbolic) link and hard link.
Please explain it in as simple terms as possible.
Kris (4 Replies)
Discussion started by: balu_solaris
4 Replies
7. Solaris
Can anyone let me know the difference between hard link and copy command..
1) from my knowledge hard link wont span across file system and it will link to inode.
2) But in space point of view both hard link and copying a file occupies a same space. Then what is the major difference between... (11 Replies)
Discussion started by: rogerben
11 Replies
8. Shell Programming and Scripting
Hi ,
When installing oracle software a set of directories are created under
the home directories.
Since the home directory is usually not big , i would like to create a soft link
from the home directory to mount point with alot of free space , that way the logs will not be wriiten under the... (1 Reply)
Discussion started by: yoavbe
1 Replies
9. Solaris
I did restore from netbackup for root file system on separate slice instead of corrupted one. After restoration I found there are number of soft link issues lie
e.g
libabcxyx > /mnt/usr/lib
it should be
libabcxyz > /usr/lib
does any have solution to change symbolic link changed in... (1 Reply)
Discussion started by: nimish_mehta
1 Replies
10. Shell Programming and Scripting
can u help me out how change the hooked file below.
VEUEMASTER.txt -> /sbvnj/kfls//VSUE_OBR_MAER.txt.201503230800 (4 Replies)
Discussion started by: ramkumar15
4 Replies
symlink(4) Kernel Interfaces Manual symlink(4)
NAME
symlink - symbolic link
DESCRIPTION
A symbolic (or soft ) link is a file whose name indirectly refers (points) to a relative or absolute path name.
During path name interpretation, a symbolic link to a relative path name is expanded to the path name being interpreted, and a symbolic
link to an absolute path name is replaced with the path name being interpreted.
Thus, given the path name
If is a symbolic link to a relative path name such as the path name is interpreted as
If is a symbolic link to an absolute path name such as the path name is interpreted as
All symbolic links are interpreted in this manner, with one exception: when the symbolic link is the last component of a path name, it is
passed as a parameter to one of the system calls: or (see readlink(2), rename(2), symlink(2), unlink(2), chown(2) and lstat(2)). With
these calls, the symbolic link, itself, is accessed or affected.
Unlike normal (hard) links, a symbolic link can refer to any arbitrary path name and can span different logical devices (volumes).
The path name can be that of any type of file (including a directory or another symbolic link), and may be invalid if no such path exists
in the system. (It is possible to make symbolic links point to themselves or other symbolic links in such a way that they form a closed
loop. The system detects this situation by limiting the number of symbolic links it traverses while translating a path name.)
The mode and ownership of a symbolic link is ignored by the system, which means that affects the actual file, but not the file containing
the symbolic link (see chmod(1)).
Symbolic links can be created using or (see ln(1) and symlink(2)).
AUTHOR
was developed by HP and the University of California, Berkeley.
SEE ALSO
cp(1), symlink(2), readlink(2), link(2), stat(2), mknod(1M).
symlink(4)