Soft Link:
Symbolic link is a file that points to
another file, and can create symbolic links for files, directories, and device
files also
Syntax: ln -s <source_file> <target_file>
#ln –s /var/file1 link1
- The size of the symbolic link always matches the number of characters in the path name it contains. EX: bin -> ./usr/bin [ size of bin directory is : 9]
- Inode values are different but data block are same for soft link.
- Across file system or network or another disk we can create the symbolic links
- We can identify the soft link by using command ls –F which it displays the @ symbol at the end of the link
# ls -F
Desktop/ bin@ devices/ export/ lib/ net/ proc/ tmp/
Documents/ boot/
etc/ home/ lost+found/ opt/
sbin/ usr/
anonFTP/ dev/ evolution/ kernel/
mnt/ platform/ system/
var/
# ls -l bin
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root
root 9
Sep 8 19:06 bin -> ./usr/bin
- We can create the soft links for non existence source also#ln -s sur1 sub2 [here both files non existence files]
- We can remove symbolic links by using rm command#rm link1
Hard Links:
- We can create hard links for files only, and can’t create the hard links across the file system
- Inode values are always same but data block are differect and will occupy the disk space
- We can identify hard links by using link count more than 1
# ls -li
/etc/rc2.d/K05appserv
5425 -rwxr--r-- 5 root
sys 824 Aug 16 2006 /etc/rc2.d/K05appserv
#find / -mount –inum
5425 –exec ls –ltr {} \;
5425 1 -rwxr--r-- 5 root
sys 824 Aug 16 2006 /etc/init.d/appserv
5425
1 -rwxr--r-- 5 root sys 824 Aug 16 2006 /etc/rc0.d/K05appserv
5425
1 -rwxr--r-- 5
root sys 824 Aug 16 2006 /etc/rc1.d/K05appserv
5425
1 -rwxr--r-- 5
root sys 824 Aug 16 2006 /etc/rc2.d/K05appserv
5425
1 -rwxr--r-- 5 root sys 824 Aug 16 2006 /etc/rc3.d/S84appserv
Or
# find / -inum 5425
/etc/init.d/appserv
/etc/rc0.d/K05appserv
/etc/rc1.d/K05appserv
/etc/rc2.d/K05appserv
/etc/rc3.d/S84appserv