Difference between revisions of "cmd/ln"
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To create a relative link: | To create a relative link: | ||
| − | ln -r --symbolic | + | ln -r --symbolic {{arg|existing file}} {{arg|link to create}} |
| − | Relative links will still work even if the folder containing both files (the original and the link) is moved or copied. | + | * Relative links will still work even if the folder containing both files (the original and the link) is moved or copied. |
| + | * Note that a link cannot have the same name as a folder in the same directory. | ||
| + | * The error message "ln: failed to create symbolic link '{{arg|filename}}': File exists" can be maddeningly misleading. It seems to always report the existing file, even when the problem is actually that the ''second'' filename (the link-name) already exists. Translation: | ||
| + | ** "<tt>'{{arg|arg 1}}': File exists</tt>" (arg 1 should be {{arg|existing file}}): The link-name is the same as an existing file, possibly a folder. | ||
| + | *** The fact that <code>ln</code> reports the first param instead of the second one seems to be a {{l/sub|bug}}. Yes, the first param is a file that does exist, but that's not the problem. | ||
| + | ** "<tt>'{{arg|arg 2}}': File exists</tt>" (arg 2 should be {{arg|name for link}}): You've got the arguments backwards, and are trying to create a link under the same name as the existing file (to a file which doesn't exist). | ||
| + | ===another way to think of it=== | ||
| + | If you're in the folder '''where you want the link to go''': | ||
| + | ln -r --symbolic {{arg|relative path}}/{{arg|name of file/folder}} ./{{arg|name for link}} | ||
| + | |||
| + | If you're in the folder '''where the existing/real file is''': | ||
| + | ln -r --symbolic ./{{arg|name of file}} {{arg|relative path}}/{{arg|name for link}} | ||
==Example== | ==Example== | ||
I pretty much always get confused as to which is the link and which is the target, so here's an example. You're inside {{fmt/code|/git/futilities/human/ff}} and you want to create a link called "lib" to the "lib" folder at {{fmt/code|/git/futilities/lib}}: | I pretty much always get confused as to which is the link and which is the target, so here's an example. You're inside {{fmt/code|/git/futilities/human/ff}} and you want to create a link called "lib" to the "lib" folder at {{fmt/code|/git/futilities/lib}}: | ||
ln -r --symbolic ../../lib/ ./lib | ln -r --symbolic ../../lib/ ./lib | ||
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==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
* [http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1347105/linux-link-all-files-from-one-to-another-directory LINUX: Link all files from one to another directory] | * [http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1347105/linux-link-all-files-from-one-to-another-directory LINUX: Link all files from one to another directory] | ||
Latest revision as of 23:36, 22 June 2024
ln is the Linux command for creating a link to a file or folder.
To create a relative link:
ln -r --symbolic <existing file> <link to create>
- Relative links will still work even if the folder containing both files (the original and the link) is moved or copied.
- Note that a link cannot have the same name as a folder in the same directory.
- The error message "ln: failed to create symbolic link '<filename>': File exists" can be maddeningly misleading. It seems to always report the existing file, even when the problem is actually that the second filename (the link-name) already exists. Translation:
- "'<arg 1>': File exists" (arg 1 should be <existing file>): The link-name is the same as an existing file, possibly a folder.
- The fact that
lnreports the first param instead of the second one seems to be a bug. Yes, the first param is a file that does exist, but that's not the problem.
- The fact that
- "'<arg 2>': File exists" (arg 2 should be <name for link>): You've got the arguments backwards, and are trying to create a link under the same name as the existing file (to a file which doesn't exist).
- "'<arg 1>': File exists" (arg 1 should be <existing file>): The link-name is the same as an existing file, possibly a folder.
another way to think of it
If you're in the folder where you want the link to go:
ln -r --symbolic <relative path>/<name of file/folder> ./<name for link>
If you're in the folder where the existing/real file is:
ln -r --symbolic ./<name of file> <relative path>/<name for link>
Example
I pretty much always get confused as to which is the link and which is the target, so here's an example. You're inside «/git/futilities/human/ff» and you want to create a link called "lib" to the "lib" folder at «/git/futilities/lib»:
ln -r --symbolic ../../lib/ ./lib