manual page distributed with 4.2BSD

[unix-history] / usr / src / bin / ln / ln.1

diff --git a/usr/src/bin/ln/ln.1 b/usr/src/bin/ln/ln.1
index 5e0df53..899fd0a 100644 (file)
--- a/usr/src/bin/ln/ln.1
+++ b/usr/src/bin/ln/ln.1
@@ -2,14 +2,17 @@
 .\" All rights reserved.  The Berkeley software License Agreement
 .\" specifies the terms and conditions for redistribution.
 .\"
 .\" All rights reserved.  The Berkeley software License Agreement
 .\" specifies the terms and conditions for redistribution.
 .\"

-.\"    @(#)ln.1        4.1 (Berkeley) %G%
+.\"    @(#)ln.1        5.1 (Berkeley) %G%

 .\"
 .\"

-.TH LN 1 11/16/79
+.TH LN 1 "17 March 1982"

 .UC 4
 .SH NAME
 ln \- make links
 .SH SYNOPSIS
 .B ln
 .UC 4
 .SH NAME
 ln \- make links
 .SH SYNOPSIS
 .B ln

+[
+.B \-s
+]

 name1 [ name2 ]
 .br
 .B ln
 name1 [ name2 ]
 .br
 .B ln


@@ -20,11 +23,35 @@ to a file; the same file (together with
 its size, all its protection
 information, etc.)
 may have several links to it.
 its size, all its protection
 information, etc.)
 may have several links to it.

-There is no way to distinguish a link to a file
-from its original directory entry;
-any changes in the
-file are effective
-independently of the name by which the file is known.
+There are two kinds of links: hard links and symbolic links.
+.PP
+By default
+.I ln
+makes hard links.
+A hard link to a file is indistinguishable from the
+original directory entry; any changes to a
+file are effective independent of the name used
+to reference the file.
+Hard links may not span file systems and may not refer to directories.
+.PP
+The
+.B \-s
+option causes
+.I ln
+to create symbolic links.
+A symbolic link contains the name of the file to
+which it is linked.  The referenced file is used when an
+.IR open (2)
+operation is performed on the link.
+A
+.IR stat (2)
+on a symbolic link will return the linked-to file; an
+.IR lstat (2)
+must be done to obtain information about the link.
+The
+.IR readlink (2)
+call may be used to read the contents of a symbolic link.
+Symbolic links may span file systems and may refer to directories.

 .PP
 Given one or two arguments,
 .I ln
 .PP
 Given one or two arguments,
 .I ln


@@ -36,17 +63,13 @@ is given, the link has that name;
 .I name2
 may also be a directory in which to place the link;
 otherwise it is placed in the current directory.
 .I name2
 may also be a directory in which to place the link;
 otherwise it is placed in the current directory.

-If only the directory is specified, the link will be made with
-its name the same as the last component
-of
+If only the directory is specified, the link will be made
+to the last component of

 .IR name1 .
 .PP
 Given more than two arguments,
 .I ln
 makes links to all the named files in the named directory.
 The links made will have the same name as the files being linked to.
 .IR name1 .
 .PP
 Given more than two arguments,
 .I ln
 makes links to all the named files in the named directory.
 The links made will have the same name as the files being linked to.

-.PP
-It is forbidden to link to a directory
-or to link across file systems.

 .SH "SEE ALSO"
 .SH "SEE ALSO"

-rm(1), cp(1), mv(1)
+rm(1), cp(1), mv(1), link(2), readlink(2), stat(2), symlink(2)