SYMLINK(2) System Calls SYMLINK(2)

NAME

symlink - make a symbolic link to a file

SYNOPSIS

#include <unistd.h>

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

int symlinkat(const char *name1, int fd, 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.


The symlinkat() function behaves similarly to symlink(); however, when
path2 is a relative path, then it will be looked up relative to the
directory specified by the file descriptor fd. To look up something in
the current working directory, the special value AT_FDCWD may be passed
into fd.

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() and symlinkat() functions 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 created 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 characters
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 directory; 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 system 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
directory. For symlinkat(), if path2 refers to a relative
path and fd is a valid file descriptor that is not a
directory.


EROFS
The file name2 would reside on a read-only file system.


The symlinkat() function will fail if:

EBADF
The path2 argument is a relative path, and fd is not a
valid, open file descriptor or the special value
AT_FDCWD.

ATTRIBUTES

See attributes(7) for descriptions of the following attributes:


+--------------------+-----------------+
| ATTRIBUTE TYPE | ATTRIBUTE VALUE |
+--------------------+-----------------+
|Interface Stability | Standard |
+--------------------+-----------------+

SEE ALSO

cp(1), link(2), open(2), readlink(2), stat(2), unlink(2), attributes(7)

May 18, 2007 SYMLINK(2)