SYMLINK(2) BSD System Calls Manual SYMLINK(2)NAME
symlink — make symbolic link to a file
SYNOPSIS
#include <unistd.h>
int
symlink(const char *path1, const char *path2);
DESCRIPTION
A symbolic link path2 is created to path1 (path2 is the name of the file
created, path1 is the string used in creating the symbolic link). Either
name may be an arbitrary path name; the files need not be on the same
file system.
RETURN VALUES
Upon successful completion, a zero value is returned. If an error
occurs, the error code is stored in errno and a -1 value is returned.
ERRORS
The symbolic link succeeds unless:
[EACCES] Write permission is denied in the directory where the
symbolic link is being created.
[EACCES] A component of the path2 path prefix denies search
permission.
[EDQUOT] The directory in which the entry for the new symbolic
link is being placed cannot be extended because the
user's quota of disk blocks on the file system con‐
taining the directory has been exhausted.
[EDQUOT] The new symbolic link cannot be created because the
user's quota of disk blocks on the file system that
will contain the symbolic link has been exhausted.
[EDQUOT] The user's quota of inodes on the file system on which
the symbolic link is being created has been exhausted.
[EEXIST] Path2 already exists.
[EFAULT] Path1 or path2 points outside the process's allocated
address space.
[EIO] An I/O error occurs while making the directory entry
or allocating the inode.
[EIO] An I/O error occurs while making the directory entry
for path2, or allocating the inode for path2, or writ‐
ing out the link contents of path2.
[ELOOP] Too many symbolic links are encountered in translating
the pathname. This is taken to be indicative of a
looping symbolic link.
[ENAMETOOLONG] A component of a pathname exceeds {NAME_MAX} charac‐
ters, or an entire path name exceeds {PATH_MAX} char‐
acters.
[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 there
is no space left on the file system containing the
directory.
[ENOSPC] The new symbolic link cannot be created because there
there is no space left on the file system that will
contain the symbolic link.
[ENOSPC] There are no free inodes on the file system on which
the symbolic link is being created.
[ENOTDIR] A component of the path2 prefix is not a directory.
[EROFS] The file path2 would reside on a read-only file sys‐
tem.
SEE ALSOln(1), link(2), unlink(2), symlink(7)HISTORY
The symlink() function call appeared in 4.2BSD.
4.2 Berkeley Distribution June 4, 1993 4.2 Berkeley Distribution
