UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

hi, i am in a directory, have 2 files as below
then do a ls -l gives the below

Code:

lrwxrwxrwx   1 root     system        23 Mar 08 2001    filea -> /adir/filea
lrwxrwxrwx   1 root     system        23 Mar 08 2001    filea -> /adir/fileb

now, when i do a cd /adir, the system said, adir not found..

so what is wrong?

A link is just a entry in the directory I-node table.
It does not mean the tatget files exists.

You can re-create the targets and it should be working.


BUT I wonder how it is possible you have 2 files in the same directory with the same name (filea).

Is this an example?, or do you have blanks around the file name?, or is this you problem?

is a problem that i am facing now... its a tying mistake should be.. as belows..

Code:

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root system 23 Mar 08 2001 filea -> /adir/filea 
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root system 23 Mar 08 2001 fileb -> /adir/fileb

sorry, but i still dont get ur replies...

when i do a cd /adir, the system said adir is not found

When you do `ls -l` the command is looking in the I-node table and not on the disk.

So once when the link was created the dirtectoy /adir exists.
Afterwards someone deleted this directory /adir

you end up without directory /adir, and with a link
`filea -> /adir/filea`

When you recreate the directory and the file /adir/filea, the link should be re-astebilst

if i recreate the directory, i think i wont be able to get the original files? say example, the links point to some pdf help files. when i had already deleted them, even if i restored the directory, i will not be able to get the help files, right?

another question that came across my mind is how to read pdf files in unix?

thanks

Indeed, you do not get back the original files, Tape backup?
it only restores the link.

for reading PDF files, you need a PDF reader for your platform.