symbolic link
soft link
symlink
<file system> (Or "symlink", "soft link" (by contrast with
"{hard link}"), "{shortcut}", "{alias}") A special type of
{Unix} file which refers to another file by its {pathname}. A
symbolic link is created with the "ln" (link) command:
ln -s OLDNAME NEWNAME
Where OLDNAME is the target of the link (usually a pathname)
and NEWNAME is the pathname of the link itself.
Most operations ({open}, {read}, {write}) on the symbolic link
automatically {dereference} it and operate on its target
(OLDNAME). Some operations (e.g. removing) work on the link
itself (NEWNAME).
In contrast with {hard links}, there are no restrictions on
where a symbolic link can point, it can refer to a file on
another file system, to itself or to a file which does not
even exist (e.g. when the target of the symlink is removed).
Such problems will only be detected when the link is accessed.
(1997-10-22)