ln(1)

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.   By  default,
   each  destination  (name  of  new link) should not already exist.  When
   creating hard links, each TARGET must exist.  Symbolic links  can  hold
   arbitrary  text;  if  later resolved, a relative 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
          dereference TARGETs that are symbolic links

   -n, --no-dereference
          treat  LINK_NAME  as a normal file if it is a symbolic link to a
          directory

   -P, --physical
          make hard links directly to symbolic links

   -r, --relative
          create symbolic links relative to link location

   -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 always

   -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
   variable.  Here are the values:

   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

   Using  -s  ignores  -L  and  -P.   Otherwise, the last option specified
   controls behavior when a TARGET is a symbolic link, defaulting to -P.

AUTHOR

   Written by Mike Parker and David MacKenzie.

REPORTING BUGS

   GNU coreutils online help: <http://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>
   Report ln translation bugs to <http://translationproject.org/team/>

COPYRIGHT

   Copyright  2016 Free Software Foundation, Inc.   License  GPLv3+:  GNU
   GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
   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)

   Full documentation at: <http://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/ln>
   or available locally via: info '(coreutils) ln invocation'

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Free and Open Source Software