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NAME
symlink - make a symbolic link to a file
SYNOPSIS
#include <unistd.h> int symlink(const char *path1, const char *path2);
DESCRIPTION
The symlink() function shall create a symbolic link called path2 that contains the string pointed to by
path1 ( path2 is the name of the symbolic link created, path1 is the string contained in the symbolic
link).
The string pointed to by path1 shall be treated only as a character string and shall not be validated as
a pathname.
If the symlink() function fails for any reason other than [EIO], any file named by path2 shall be
unaffected.
RETURN VALUE
Upon successful completion, symlink() shall return 0; otherwise, it shall return -1 and set errno to
indicate the error.
ERRORS
The symlink() function shall fail if:
EACCES Write permission is denied in the directory where the symbolic link is being created, or search
permission is denied for a component of the path prefix of path2.
EEXIST The path2 argument names an existing file or symbolic link.
EIO An I/O error occurs while reading from or writing to the file system.
ELOOP A loop exists in symbolic links encountered during resolution of the path2 argument.
ENAMETOOLONG
The length of the path2 argument exceeds {PATH_MAX} or a pathname component is longer than
{NAME_MAX} or the length of the path1 argument is longer than {SYMLINK_MAX}.
ENOENT A component of path2 does not name an existing file or path2 is an empty string.
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, or the new symbolic link
cannot be created because no space is left on the file system which shall contain the link, or the
file system is out of file-allocation resources.
ENOTDIR
A component of the path prefix of path2 is not a directory.
EROFS The new symbolic link would reside on a read-only file system.
The symlink() function may fail if:
ELOOP More than {SYMLOOP_MAX} symbolic links were encountered during resolution of the path2 argument.
ENAMETOOLONG
As a result of encountering a symbolic link in resolution of the path2 argument, the length of the
substituted pathname string exceeded {PATH_MAX} bytes (including the terminating null byte), or
the length of the string pointed to by path1 exceeded {SYMLINK_MAX}.
The following sections are informative.
EXAMPLES
None.
APPLICATION USAGE
Like a hard link, a symbolic link allows a file to have multiple logical names. The presence of a hard
link guarantees the existence of a file, even after the original name has been removed. A symbolic link
provides no such assurance; in fact, the file named by the path1 argument need not exist when the link is
created. A symbolic link can cross file system boundaries.
Normal permission checks are made on each component of the symbolic link pathname during its resolution.
RATIONALE
Since IEEE Std 1003.1-2001 does not require any association of file times with symbolic links, there is
no requirement that file times be updated by symlink().
FUTURE DIRECTIONS
None.
SEE ALSO
lchown() , link() , lstat() , open() , readlink() , unlink() , the Base Definitions volume of
IEEE Std 1003.1-2001, <unistd.h>
COPYRIGHT
Portions of this text are reprinted and reproduced in electronic form from IEEE Std 1003.1, 2003 Edition,
Standard for Information Technology -- Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX), The Open Group Base
Specifications Issue 6, Copyright (C) 2001-2003 by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers,
Inc and The Open Group. In the event of any discrepancy between this version and the original IEEE and
The Open Group Standard, the original IEEE and The Open Group Standard is the referee document. The
original Standard can be obtained online at http://www.opengroup.org/unix/online.html .