symlink(2)                       UNIX System V                       symlink(2)


NAME
      symlink - make a symbolic link to a file

SYNOPSIS
      #include <unistd.h> int symlink(const char *name1, const char *name2);

DESCRIPTION
      symlink creates a symbolic link name2 to the file name1.  Either name may
      be an arbitrary pathname, the files need not be on the same file system,
      and name1 may be nonexistent.

      The file to which the symbolic link points is used when an open(2)
      operation is performed on the link.  A stat(2) on a symbolic link returns
      the linked-to file, while an lstat returns information about the link
      itself.  This can lead to surprising results when a symbolic link is made
      to a directory.  To avoid confusion in programs, the readlink(2) call can
      be used to read the contents of a symbolic link.

      If the file named by name2 does not exist, it is created.  The permission
      mode of name2 is 777 [see creat(2)].

      The symbolic link is made unless one or more of the following are true:

      EACCES              Search permission is denied for a component of the
                          path prefix of name2.

      EDQUOT              The directory in which the entry for the new symbolic
                          link is being placed cannot be extended because the
                          user's quota of disk blocks on the file system
                          containing the directory has been exhausted.

      EDQUOT              The new symbolic link cannot be created because the
                          user's quota of disk blocks on the file system which
                          will contain the link has been exhausted.

      EDQUOT              The user's quota of inodes on the file system on
                          which the file is being created has been exhausted.

      EEXIST              The file referred to by name2 already exists.

      EFAULT              name1 or name2 points outside the allocated address
                          space for the process.

      EIO                 An I/O error occurs while reading from or writing to
                          the file system.

      ELOOP               Too many symbolic links are encountered in
                          translating name2.

      ENAMETOOLONG        The length of the name1 or name2 argument exceeds
                          {PATHMAX}, or the length of a name1 or name2
                          component exceeds {NAMEMAX} while (POSIXNOTRUNC)


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symlink(2)                       UNIX System V                       symlink(2)


                          is in effect.

      ENOENT              A component of the path prefix of name2 does not
                          exist.

      ENOSPC              The directory in which the entry for the new symbolic
                          link is being placed cannot be extended because no
                          space is left on the file system containing the
                          directory.

      ENOSPC              The new symbolic link cannot be created because no
                          space is left on the file system which will contain
                          the link.

      ENOSPC              There are no free inodes on the file system on which
                          the file is being created.

      ENOSYS              The file system does not support symbolic links

      ENOTDIR             A component of the path prefix of name2 is not a
                          directory.

      EROFS               The file name2 would reside on a read-only file
                          system.

DIAGNOSTICS
      Upon successful completion symlink returns a value of 0; otherwise, it
      returns -1 and places an error code in errno.

SEE ALSO
      link(2), readlink(2), unlink(2).  cp(1) in the User's Reference Manual.























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