Types of links
There are two types of links: hard and symbolic.
Links are created with the ln command and are of the following types:
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| hard link | Allows access to the data of a file from a new file name. Hard links ensure the existence of a file. When the last hard link is removed, the i-node number and its data are deleted. Hard links can be created only between files that are in the same file system. |
| symbolic link | Allows access to data in other file systems from a new file name. The symbolic link is a special type of file that contains a path name. When a process encounters a symbolic link, the process may search that path. Symbolic links do not protect a file from deletion from the file system. |
Note: The user who creates a file retains ownership of that file no matter
how many links are created. Only the owner of the file or the root user can
set the access mode for that file. However, changes can be made to the file
from a linked file name with the proper access mode.
A file or directory exists as long as there is one hard link to the i-node number for that file. In the long listing displayed by the ls -l command, the number of hard links to each file and subdirectory is given. All hard links are treated equally by the operating system, regardless of which link was created first.