SYMLINK(2-SVR4) RISC/os Reference Manual SYMLINK(2-SVR4)
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 direc-
tory. To avoid confusion in programs, the readlink(2) call
can be used to read the contents of a symbolic link.
The symbolic link is made unless one or more of the follow-
ing are true:
EACCES Search permission is denied for a com-
ponent 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 contain-
ing 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 allo-
cated 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
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SYMLINK(2-SVR4) RISC/os Reference Manual SYMLINK(2-SVR4)
in translating name2.
ENAMETOOLONG The length of the name1 or name2 argu-
ment exceeds {PATH_MAX}, or the length
of a name1 or name2 component exceeds
{NAME_MAX} while (_POSIX_NO_TRUNC) 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 direc-
tory.
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 sym-
bolic 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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