SYMLINK(2)

SYMLINK(2) | System Calls Manual | SYMLINK(2)

# NAME

symlink — make symbolic link to a file

# LIBRARY

Standard C Library (libc, -lc)

# SYNOPSIS

#include <unistd.h>

int
symlink(const char *name1, const char *name2);

# DESCRIPTION

A symbolic link name2 is created to name1 (name2 is the name of the file created, name1 is the string used in creating the symbolic link). Either name may be an arbitrary path name; the files need neither to be on the same file system nor to exist.

# 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:

[ENOTDIR]
  A component of the name2 prefix is not a directory.
[ENAMETOOLONG]
  A component of a pathname exceeded {NAME_MAX} characters, or an entire path name exceeded {PATH_MAX} characters.
[ENOENT]
  A component of the name2 path does not exist.
[EACCES]
  A component of the name2 path prefix denies search permission.
[ELOOP]
  Too many symbolic links were encountered in translating the pathname.
[EEXIST]
  name2 already exists.
[EIO]
  An I/O error occurred while making the directory entry for name2, or allocating the inode for name2, or writing out the link contents of name2.
[EROFS]
  The file name2 would reside on a read-only file system.
[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.
[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 containing 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.
[EIO]
  An I/O error occurred while making the directory entry or allocating the inode.
[EFAULT]
  name1 or name2 points outside the process's allocated address space.

# SEE ALSO

ln(1), link(2), readlink(2), unlink(2), symlink(7)

# HISTORY

The symlink() function call appeared in 4.2BSD.

June 4, 1993 | NetBSD 5.99