Hard link and Softlink in linux with examples

Link are of two types Soft links (symbolic links ) or Hard link

Soft Links (symbolic links )

You can make links for files & folder & you can create link (shortcut) on different partition & got different inode number from original.

If real copy is deleted the link will not work.

Hard Links

For files only & you cannot create on different partition ( it should be on same partition ) & got same inode number as original

If the real copy is deleted the link will work ( because it act as original file )

[root@client1 ~]# cd /myfolder 

[root@client1 myfolder]# ls 

[root@client1 myfolder]# cat > original_file 

This is the original file to test links 

[root@client1 myfolder]# ls -ld original_file 

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 40 Jul 12 21:12 original_file [root@client1 myfolder]# cd 

Setting a soft link 

[root@client1 ~]# ln -s /myfolder/original_file softlink [root@client1 ~]# ls -ld softlink 

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 23 Jul 12 21:12 softlink -> /myfolder/original_file 

[root@client1 ~]# cat softlink 

This is the original file to test links 

[root@client1 ~]# cat >> softlink 

this line is appended by the softlink 

[root@client1 ~]# cat /myfolder/original_file 

This is the original file to test links 

this line is appended by the softlink 

[root@client1 ~]# ls -ld /myfolder/original_file 

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 78 Jul 12 21:13 /myfolder/original_file 

[root@client1 ~]# ls -ld softlink 

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 23 Jul 12 21:12 softlink -> /myfolder/original_file 

[root@client1 ~]# rm /myfolder/original_file 

rm: remove regular file `/myfolder/original_file'? y [root@client1 ~]# cat softlink 

cat: softlink: No such file or directory 

Setting a Hard Link 

[root@client1 ~]# ln /myfolder/original_file hardlink 

ln: creating hard link `hardlink' to `/myfolder/original_file': Invalid cross-device link 

[root@client1 ~]# cd / 

[root@client1 /]# cat > original 

This is the original file to test links. 

[root@client1 /]# cd 

[root@client1 ~]# ln /original /root/hardlink [root@client1 ~]# ls -ld /root/hardlink 

-rw-r--r-- 2 root root 41 Jul 12 21:16 /root/hardlink [root@client1 ~]# ls -ld /original 

-rw-r--r-- 2 root root 41 Jul 12 21:16 /original [root@client1 ~]# cd / 

[root@client1 /]# cat > original 

This is the original file to test links. 

[root@client1 /]# cd 

[root@client1 ~]# ln /original /root/hardlink [root@client1 ~]# ls -ld /root/hardlink 

-rw-r--r-- 2 root root 41 Jul 12 21:16 /root/hardlink 

[root@client1 ~]# ls -ld /original 

-rw-r--r-- 2 root root 41 Jul 12 21:16 /original [root@client1 ~]# cat >> hardlink 

this is appended by the hardlink file 

[root@client1 ~]# ls -ld /root/hardlink 

-rw-r--r-- 2 root root 79 Jul 12 21:18 /root/hardlink [root@client1 ~]# ls -ld /original 

-rw-r--r-- 2 root root 79 Jul 12 21:18 /original [root@client1 ~]# rm /original 

rm: remove regular file `/original'? y

 [root@client1 ~]# cat hardlink 

This is the original file to test links. 

this is appended by the hardlink file