NAME
ln - make links between files
SYNOPSIS
ln [OPTION]... [-T] TARGET LINK_NAME (1st form)
ln [OPTION]... TARGET (2nd form)
ln [OPTION]... TARGET... DIRECTORY (3rd form)
ln [OPTION]... -t DIRECTORY TARGET... (4th form)
DESCRIPTION
In the 1st form, create a link to TARGET with the name LINK_NAME. In the 2nd form, create a link to TARGET in the current directory. In the 3rd and 4th forms, create links to each TARGET in
DIRECTORY. Create hard links by default, symbolic links with --symbolic. When creating hard links, each TARGET must exist. Symbolic links can hold arbitrary text; if later resolved, a rela‐
tive link is interpreted in relation to its parent directory.
Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.
--backup[=CONTROL]
make a backup of each existing destination file
-b like --backup but does not accept an argument
-d, -F, --directory
allow the superuser to attempt to hard link directories (note: will probably fail due to system restrictions, even for the superuser)
-f, --force
remove existing destination files
-i, --interactive
prompt whether to remove destinations
-L, --logical
make hard links to symbolic link references
-n, --no-dereference
treat destination that is a symlink to a directory as if it were a normal file
-P, --physical
make hard links directly to symbolic links
-s, --symbolic
make symbolic links instead of hard links
-S, --suffix=SUFFIX
override the usual backup suffix
-t, --target-directory=DIRECTORY
specify the DIRECTORY in which to create the links
-T, --no-target-directory
treat LINK_NAME as a normal file
-v, --verbose
print name of each linked file
--help display this help and exit
--version
output version information and exit
The backup suffix is `~', unless set with --suffix or SIMPLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX. The version control method may be selected via the --backup option or through the VERSION_CONTROL environment vari‐
able. Here are the values:
Using -s ignores -L and -P. Otherwise, the last option specified controls behavior when the source is a symbolic link, defaulting to -P.
none, off
never make backups (even if --backup is given)
numbered, t
make numbered backups
existing, nil
numbered if numbered backups exist, simple otherwise
simple, never
always make simple backups
AUTHOR
Written by Mike Parker and David MacKenzie.
REPORTING BUGS
Report ln bugs to bug-coreutils@gnu.org
GNU coreutils home page:
General help using GNU software:
Report ln translation bugs to
COPYRIGHT
Copyright © 2011 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.
SEE ALSO
link(2), symlink(2)
The full documentation for ln is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If the info and ln programs are properly installed at your site, the command
info coreutils 'ln invocation'
should give you access to the complete manual.
GNU coreutils 8.12.197-032bb September 2011 LN(1)
