Link

The connection between the file and the actual data on the disk .

A symlink is a symbolic Linux/ UNIX link that points to another file or folder on your computer, or a connected file system. This is similar to a Windows shortcut.

There are two types of symbolic link forms :

Soft links are similar to shortcuts, and can point to another file or directory in any file system.

Soft link will be removed if original file removed or delete.

Syntax: ln -s /<path to file/folder to be linked> <link_name>

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Hard links are also shortcuts for files and folders, but a hard link cannot be created for a folder or file in a different file system. These can be created in the following way on Linux and Mac operating systems.

Deleting , renaming or removing file will not effect the hard link .

Hard links are useful as a kind of backup for files.

Syntax: ln /<path to file/folder to be linked> <link_name>

To check it write command "ls -ltr".

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We can also unlink the hardlink and softlink . This can be done by using the command "unlink" and is same for both softlink and hardlink .

Syntax : unlink <link_name>

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Steps to create a symbolic path to get into another directory:

• Get into the directory from where you need to create a symbolic link.
• Enter the command ln -s links_path link_name.
• A link will be created in the current directory.
• In order to get to the created link use the command cd link_name.
• Now you will be inside the directory for which you created a symbolic link

Gif. shows an example of how to create a symbolic link and get into a directory.

• direct_path is a directory that is inside the symbolic_link directory.
• new_path is a directory that is inside the direct_path directory.
• Now in order to create a link directly from symbolic_link to new path_path make sure you are in the home directory from where the path need to be created.

In this example cd ../../ is used to comeback 2 directories behind so that link will be created from the symbolic_link directory(make sure you are in the proper directory for creating link).

Now we created link using command ln -s direct_path/new_path/ link_to_new_path.
Here, ln -s is a command used for creating symbolic links. direct_path/new_path/ is the path for which the link is to be created. link_to_new_page is a name given to the link created.

Now we are getting inside the new_path directory by entering the command cd link_to_new_path, which will now take us into the new_path directory without entering its actual path.

we can verify the actual path and symbolic path using PWD commands.
pwd -P will show the actual path for entering into the new_path directory. pwd -L will show the symbolic path for entering into the new_path directory.

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To learn ps command: https://github.com/muneeb-mbytes/linux_course/wiki/22.-ps-command