Question

Linux / Unix: Please explain in details if you can. Thanks

2. Define what is meant by symbolic link with an example.

Answer 1

symbolic link:

A symbolic link, also termed a soft link, is a special kind of file that points to another file Unlike a hard link, a symbolic link does not contain the data in the target file. It simply points to another entry somewhere in the file system. This difference gives symbolic links certain qualities that hard links do not have, such as the ability to link to directories, or to files on remote computers networked through NFS. Also, when you delete a target file, symbolic links to that file become unusable, whereas hard links preserve the contents of the file.

To create a symbolic link in Unix, at the Unix prompt, enter:

ln -s source_file myfile

Example:

a shortcut in Windows or a Macintosh alias.