1LN(1)                            User Commands                           LN(1)
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NAME

6       ln - make links between files
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SYNOPSIS

9       ln [OPTION]... [-T] TARGET LINK_NAME   (1st form)
10       ln [OPTION]... TARGET                  (2nd form)
11       ln [OPTION]... TARGET... DIRECTORY     (3rd form)
12       ln [OPTION]... -t DIRECTORY TARGET...  (4th form)
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DESCRIPTION

15       In  the  1st form, create a link to TARGET with the name LINK_NAME.  In
16       the 2nd form, create a link to TARGET in the current directory.  In the
17       3rd  and  4th  forms, create links to each TARGET in DIRECTORY.  Create
18       hard links by default, symbolic links with --symbolic.   When  creating
19       hard links, each TARGET must exist.
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21       Mandatory  arguments  to  long  options are mandatory for short options
22       too.
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24       --backup[=CONTROL]
25              make a backup of each existing destination file
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27       -b     like --backup but does not accept an argument
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29       -d, -F, --directory
30              allow the superuser to attempt to hard link  directories  (note:
31              will  probably  fail  due  to  system restrictions, even for the
32              superuser)
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34       -f, --force
35              remove existing destination files
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37       -n, --no-dereference
38              treat destination that is a symlink to a directory as if it were
39              a normal file
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41       -i, --interactive
42              prompt whether to remove destinations
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44       -s, --symbolic
45              make symbolic links instead of hard links
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47       -S, --suffix=SUFFIX
48              override the usual backup suffix
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50       -t, --target-directory=DIRECTORY
51              specify the DIRECTORY in which to create the links
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53       -T, --no-target-directory
54              treat LINK_NAME as a normal file
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56       -v, --verbose
57              print name of each linked file
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59       --help display this help and exit
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61       --version
62              output version information and exit
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64       The   backup   suffix   is  `~',  unless  set  with  --suffix  or  SIM‐
65       PLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX.  The version control method may be selected via  the
66       --backup  option  or  through the VERSION_CONTROL environment variable.
67       Here are the values:
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69       none, off
70              never make backups (even if --backup is given)
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72       numbered, t
73              make numbered backups
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75       existing, nil
76              numbered if numbered backups exist, simple otherwise
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78       simple, never
79              always make simple backups
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AUTHOR

82       Written by Mike Parker and David MacKenzie.
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REPORTING BUGS

85       Report bugs to <bug-coreutils@gnu.org>.
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88       Copyright © 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
89       This is free software.  You may redistribute copies  of  it  under  the
90       terms       of       the      GNU      General      Public      License
91       <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.  There is NO WARRANTY,  to  the
92       extent permitted by law.
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SEE ALSO

95       link(2), symlink(2)
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97       The  full  documentation  for ln is maintained as a Texinfo manual.  If
98       the info and ln programs are properly installed at your site, the  com‐
99       mand
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101              info ln
102
103       should give you access to the complete manual.
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107GNU coreutils 6.9                 March 2008                             LN(1)
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