LN(1)                                     User Commands                                     LN(1)



NAME
       ln - make links between files

SYNOPSIS
       ln [OPTION]... TARGET [LINK_NAME]
       ln [OPTION]... TARGET... DIRECTORY
       ln [OPTION]... --target-directory=DIRECTORY TARGET...

DESCRIPTION
       Create a link to the specified TARGET with optional LINK_NAME.  If LINK_NAME is omitted, a
       link with the same basename as the TARGET is created in the current directory.  When using
       the  second form with more than one TARGET, the last argument must be a directory;  create
       links in DIRECTORY to each TARGET.  Create hard links  by  default,  symbolic  links  with
       --symbolic.  When creating hard links, each TARGET must exist.

       Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.

       --backup[=CONTROL]
              make a backup of each existing destination file

       -b     like --backup but does not accept an argument

       -d, -F, --directory
              allow  the  superuser to attempt to hard link directories (note: will probably fail
              due to system restrictions, even for the superuser)

       -f, --force
              remove existing destination files

       -n, --no-dereference
              treat destination that is a symlink to a directory as if it were a normal file

       -i, --interactive
              prompt whether to remove destinations

       -s, --symbolic
              make symbolic links instead of hard links

       -S, --suffix=SUFFIX
              override the usual backup suffix

       --target-directory=DIRECTORY
              specify the DIRECTORY in which to create the links

       -v, --verbose
              print name of each file before linking

       --help display this help and exit

       --version
              output version information and exit

       The backup suffix is '~', unless set with --suffix or SIMPLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX.   The  version
       control  method  may  be  selected  via the --backup option or through the VERSION_CONTROL
       environment variable.  Here are the values:

       none, off
              never make backups (even if --backup is given)

       numbered, t
              make numbered backups

       existing, nil
              numbered if numbered backups exist, simple otherwise

       simple, never
              always make simple backups

AUTHOR
       Written by Mike Parker and David MacKenzie.

REPORTING BUGS
       Report bugs to <>.

COPYRIGHT
       Copyright (C) 2004 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
       This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is NO  warranty;  not
       even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

SEE ALSO
       The  full documentation for ln is maintained as a Texinfo manual.  If the info and ln pro-
       grams are properly installed at your site, the command

              info coreutils ln

       should give you access to the complete manual.



ln (coreutils) 5.2.1                      November 2008                                     LN(1)