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Systems & Data Center · Foundational

Symbolic Link (symlink)

A special file that contains a path to another file or directory, acting as a shortcut that can cross filesystems.

Definition

A symbolic (soft) link has its own inode and stores the target path as text. If the target is deleted or moved, the symlink becomes broken (dangling). Symlinks can reference directories and files on other filesystems.

Example

ln -s /opt/app/current/bin/app /usr/local/bin/app creates a symlink.

Exam tip

Remember ln -s creates a soft link; plain ln creates a hard link. A soft link breaks if its target is removed.

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