Lec. 14 Filesystem Links

Introduction to links
• A link is a way to make a file s data accessible via more than one filename • Two types of links are available: - Soft links - Hard links
Soft links
• Also called Symbolic Links • A file type designed to point to another file • Example: /etc/mtab points to /proc/mounts
Soft links
• The /boot/grub/grub.conf file is a regular file that stores text data • When /etc/grub.conf is accessed, the link is followed • Example: more /etc/grub.conf would really display /boot/grub/grub.conf
Why Soft links?
• Soft links are excellent for creating "shortcuts" • The icons on a Windows desktop are often soft links (shortcuts) • When a system file is moved to another location by the developers, soft links are created to make it easier for administrators and users to find the new location
Soft link details
• Soft links identified with ls -l
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 22 Nov 6 2012 /etc/grub.conf -> ../boot/grub/grub.co
- File type is "l" - Pointer shows file that link points to - Permissions on the soft link file are almost always rwxrwxrwx • Permissions on the "linked to" file still apply