Q. How do I create a soft link (symbolic link) under UNIX or Linux operating system?
A. To make links between files you need to use ln command. A symbolic link (also known as a soft link or symlink) consists of a special type of file that serves as a reference to another file or directory. Unix/Linux like operating systems often uses symbolic links.
Two types of links
There are two types of links
- symbolic links: Refer to a symbolic path indicating the abstract location of another file
- hard links : Refer to the specific location of physical data.
How do I create soft link / symbolic link?
To create a symbolic link in Unix or Linux, at the shell prompt, enter the following command:
ln -s {target-filename} {symbolic-filename}
For example create softlink for /webroot/home/httpd/test.com/index.php as /home/vivek/index.php, enter the following command:
ln -s /webroot/home/httpd/test.com/index.php /home/vivek/index.php
ls -l
Output:
lrwxrwxrwx 1 vivek vivek 16 2007-09-25 22:53 index.php -> /webroot/home/httpd/test.com/index.php
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{ 31 comments… read them below or add one }
I executed this comment successfully and created a soft link. When I tried browsing to “/home/vivek.index.php” it shows “403 Forbidden error is thrown. Is there is any possibility to browse on the same?
This error 403 access forbidden, means that a request for a “bare” directory path has been made, no default directory index page is present and the site manager does not want a file listing displayed in its place.
If you have problems accessing a particular file or directory, ensure that the Web server has permission to read those files. Usually, the Web server will operate under a special user account, so make sure that user has read permission.
In this case, either create an index for that directory or change the settings to permit directory listings. For Apache, use the Options +Indexes directive in the .htaccess file for the directory.
how do you create a symbolic link to directories…
u cannot create symbolic link to directories.
sure you can:
ln -s /existing/directory /sym/link/to/that/dir
I want to know that how to preserve these softlinks while copying the files on Solaris???
Hi All
If any one saw my msz.
Write me the advantage of soft link(symbolic link) only.
How can we know about the various options under link command.
Hi,
Wanted to confirm the information I had. Great info, it worked.
Created a soft link for apache-tomcat
Syntax:
Soft Link
ln -s /directory/of/application/ /directory/and/softlink
e.g. ln -s /usr/local/apache-tomcat /usr/local/apache
This created an ‘apache’ softlink to apache-tomcat directory
ls -l
apache -> /usr/local/apache-tomcat
To use hard link, just remove the -s option
Hope this helps.
Hi,
Pla tell me ,in what scenario,we can use soft link and hard link.
“Pla tell me ,in what scenario,we can use soft link and hard link.”
I am trying to use a symbolic link (soft link) to allow multiple websites to share a css style that is beyond each sites root directory.
how can we send our file information to another user using ln command
Create an additional name (hard link) for the file ‘cars’. The link should
be called ‘autos’ and should be in your home directory:
How do you do that??
whats the advantage of soft link over Hard link?
How we can make more the Effective the Hardlink And Softlink?
My soft links are not visible through http:
how do I make sure that web server has access to those folder.
Please give the exact set of commands.
Thanks
darshan 10.26.09 at 2:47 am
My soft links are not visible through http:
how do I make sure that web server has access to those folder.
Please give the exact set of commands.
that depends on your webserver, for apache:
Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
You can use .htaccess rules to create it
hi all..pls solve this issue…
why my link size immediately goes to zerosize occasionally?
Please make sure that the file which you are accessing is having a read access for web server.
If you are accessing a file under the home directory of a user there might not be read access for home directorates.
means /home/user folder will be with 700 (drwx——) permission. So you would need to set 755 permission for /home/user folder if you need to access the file through URL.
Please help me,when i create symbolic links they always come up broken
Hi,
Thanks chepas, it’s worked!
hiiiiiiiiii how to write the code in file……..
how to make folder in unix…………
@Shivani and @ Mansi
1st ask wat is UNIX?
u guys are kidding, right? :)
Thank you !
Hi,
I have a couple symboliclink questions:
1. How can I create a symboliclink between two filesystems?
Do I need to have a mount point to the second filesystem first then create a link to it?
2. If I copy a file with that has a symboliclink to another filesystem, will it lose the link?
Thanks.
What is the basic use of a soft link or sym link?
soft link maintains duplicate data in two files.
if you link one file with another,change in one file reflected to another file also.
Thanks, this was the info I needed