file system (Or "symlink", "soft link" (by contrast with
symbolic link is created with the "ln" (link) command:
ln -s OLDNAME NEWNAME
Where OLDNAME is the target of the link (usually a pathname)
and NEWNAME is the pathname of the link itself.
(OLDNAME). Some operations (e.g. removing) work on the link
itself (NEWNAME).
In contrast with
hard links, there are no restrictions on
where a symbolic link can point, it can refer to a file on
another file system, to itself or to a file which does not
even exist (e.g. when the target of the symlink is removed).
Such problems will only be detected when the link is accessed.
(1997-10-22)