symlink - make a symbolic link to a file
#include <unistd.h>
int symlink(const char *name1, const char *name2);
int symlinkat(const char *name1, int fd, const char *name2);
The symlink() function 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() operation
performed on a symbolic link returns the linked-to file, while an
lstat() operation returns information about the link itself. See
stat(2). Unexpected results may occur when a symbolic link is made to
a directory. To avoid confusion in applications, the readlink(2) call
can be used to read the contents of a symbolic link.
The symlinkat() function behaves similarly to
symlink(); however, when path2 is a relative path, then it
will be looked up relative to the directory specified by the file descriptor
fd. To look up something in the current working directory, the
special value AT_FDCWD may be passed into fd.
Upon successful completion, 0 is returned. Otherwise, −1 is
returned, errno is set to indicate the error, and the symbolic link is
not made.
The symlink() and symlinkat() functions will fail if:
EACCES
Search permission is denied for a component of the path
prefix of name2.
EDQUOT
The directory where the entry for the new symbolic link
is being placed cannot be extended because the user's quota of disk blocks on
that file system has been exhausted; the new symbolic link cannot be created
because the user's quota of disk blocks on that file system has been
exhausted; or the user's quota of inodes on the file system where the file is
being created has been exhausted.
EEXIST
The file referred to by name2 already
exists.
EFAULT
The name1 or name2 argument points to an
illegal address.
EILSEQ
The path argument includes non-UTF8 characters and the
file system accepts only file names where all characters are part of the UTF-8
character codeset.
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 name2 argument exceeds
PATH_MAX, or the length of a 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; the new symbolic link cannot be created
because no space is left on the file system which will contain the link; or
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. For symlinkat(), if path2 refers to a relative path
and fd is a valid file descriptor that is not a directory.
EROFS
The file name2 would reside on a read-only file
system.
The symlinkat() function will fail if:
EBADF
The path2 argument is a relative path, and
fd is not a valid, open file descriptor or the special value
AT_FDCWD.
See attributes(7) for descriptions of the following attributes:
| ATTRIBUTE
TYPE |
ATTRIBUTE VALUE |
| Interface Stability |
Standard |