ln(1) — AIX PS/2 1.2.1



LN(1,C)                     AIX Commands Reference                      LN(1,C)



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ln



PURPOSE

Links files.

SYNTAX


             +-- file --- directory --+
ln ----------| ^       |              |---|
    +- -s -+ | +-------+              |
             +--- file --- newname ---+


DESCRIPTION

The ln command links file to newname (in the current directory), or to the same
name (file) in another existing directory.

There are two types of links supported by the ln command:  hard links and
symbolic links.

If you are linking a file to a new name, you can list only one file.  If you
are linking to a directory, you can list more than one file.  If file is a
symbolic link, ln creates a second symbolic link called newname that points to
the same file or directory as file.

Notes:

  1. You cannot create hard links between files across file systems.

  2. When creating a symbolic link, file need not exist.

  3. When creating a symbolic link, file may name a directory.

The ln command does not link a file to a hidden directory.  Hidden directory
components must be named explicitly.  For example, the following is a correct
specification:

  ln hidden.file@/i386 new.file

FLAG

-s   Creates a symbolic link rather than a hard link.

EXAMPLES

  1. To create another name (also called an alias) for a file:



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LN(1,C)                     AIX Commands Reference                      LN(1,C)




      ln  chap1  intro

    This command links "chap1" to the new name "intro".  If "intro" does not
    already exist, the file name is created.  If "intro" does exist, the file
    is replaced by a link to "chap1".  Now "chap1" and "intro" are two file
    names that refer to the same file.  Any changes made to one also appear in
    the other.  If one name is deleted with the del or rm command, the file is
    not actually deleted, but remains under the other name.

  2. To link a file to the same name in another directory:

      ln  index   manual

    This command links "index" to the new name "manual/index".

Note that "intro" in the example above, (creating an alias) "Chap 1" is the
name of a file, while in this example "manual" is a directory that already
exists.

  3. To link several files to names in another directory:

      ln  chap2  tom/chap3  /u/manual

    This command links "chap2" to the new name "/u/manual/chap2" and
    "tom/chap3" to "/u/manual/chap3".

  4. To use pattern-matching characters:

      ln  manual/*  .

    This command links all files in the directory "manual" into the current
    directory (.), giving them the same names they have in "manual".  You must
    type a space between the asterisk and the period.

  5. To create a symbolic link:

      ln -s /bin/who who

    This command creates a symbolic link in the current directory who that
    points to the file directory /bin/who.

  6. To create a symbolic link into the <LOCAL> filesystem:

      ln -s "<LOCAL>/utmp" /etc/utmp

    This command creates a symbolic link /etc/utmp, which points at a different
    file utmp, on each site in a TCF cluster.  The use of quotes is required
    because < and > have special meanings to the shells.

RELATED INFORMATION




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LN(1,C)                     AIX Commands Reference                      LN(1,C)



See the following commands:  "rm, delete,"  "mv, move," and  "cp, copy."

See the chmod and link system calls in AIX Operating System Technical
Reference.



















































Processed November 8, 1990          LN(1,C)                                   3

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