NAME

symlink - make a symbolic link to a file

SYNOPSIS

#include <unistd.h> int  symlink(const  char  *name1,  const
char *name2);

DESCRIPTION

symlink creates a symbolic link name2 to the file name1. Either name may be an arbitrary pathname, the files need not be on the same file system, and name1 may be nonexistent.

The file to which the symbolic link points is used when an open(2) operation is performed on the link. A stat(2) on a symbolic link returns the linked-to file, while an lstat returns information about the link itself. This can lead to surprising results when a symbolic link is made to a directory. To avoid confusion in programs, the readlink(2) call can be used to read the contents of a symbolic link.

The symbolic link is made unless one or more of the following are true:

EACCES Search permission is denied for a component of the path prefix of name2.

EDQUOT The directory in which the entry for the new symbolic link is being placed cannot be extended because the user's quota of disk blocks on the file system containing the directory has been exhausted.

EDQUOT The new symbolic link cannot be created because the user's quota of disk blocks on the file system which will contain the link has been exhausted.

EDQUOT              The user's quota of inodes on  the  file
                    system   on  which  the  file  is  being
                    created has been exhausted.

EEXIST The file referred to by name2 already exists.

EFAULT name1 or name2 points outside the allocated address space for the process.

EIO An I/O error occurs while reading from or writing to the file system.

ELOOP Too many symbolic links are encountered in translating name2.

ENAMETOOLONG The length of the name1 or name2 argument exceeds {PATH_MAX}, or the length of a name1 or name2 component exceeds {NAME_MAX} while (_POSIX_NO_TRUNC) is in effect.

ENOENT A component of the path prefix of name2 does not exist.

ENOSPC The directory in which the entry for the new symbolic link is being placed cannot be extended because no space is left on the file system containing the directory.

ENOSPC The new symbolic link cannot be created because no space is left on the file system which will contain the link.

ENOSPC              There are no free  inodes  on  the  file
                    system   on  which  the  file  is  being
                    created.

ENOSYS The file system does not support symbolic links

ENOTDIR A component of the path prefix of name2 is not a directory.

EROFS The file name2 would reside on a readonly file system.

DIAGNOSTICS

Upon successful completion symlink returns a value of 0; otherwise, it returns -1 and places an error code in errno.

SEE ALSO

link(2), readlink(2), unlink(2).  cp(1) in the User's Refer-
ence Manual.