SYMLINK(2)SYMLINK(2)NAMEsymlink - make a symbolic link to a file
SYNOPSIS
#include <unistd.h>
int symlink(const char *name1, const char *name2);
DESCRIPTION
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.
RETURN VALUES
Upon successful completion, 0 is returned. Otherwise, −1 is returned,
errno is set to indicate the error, and the symbolic link is not made.
ERRORS
The symlink() function 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 cre‐
ated 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 charac‐
ters 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 direc‐
tory; 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 sys‐
tem 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 direc‐
tory.
EROFS
The file name2 would reside on a read-only file system.
ATTRIBUTES
See attributes(5) for descriptions of the following attributes:
┌────────────────────┬─────────────────┐
│ ATTRIBUTE TYPE │ ATTRIBUTE VALUE │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────┤
│Interface Stability │ Standard │
└────────────────────┴─────────────────┘
SEE ALSOcp(1), link(2), open(2), readlink(2), stat(2), unlink(2), attributes(5)
May 18, 2007 SYMLINK(2)
