LN(1)                    User Commands                    LN(1)





NAME
       ln - make links between files

SYNOPSIS
       ln [OPTION]... [-T] TARGET LINK_NAME   (1st form)
       ln [OPTION]... TARGET                  (2nd form)
       ln [OPTION]... TARGET... DIRECTORY     (3rd form)
       ln [OPTION]... -t DIRECTORY TARGET...  (4th form)

DESCRIPTION
       In  the  1st form, create a link to TARGET with the name
       LINK_NAME.  In the 2nd form, create a link to TARGET  in
       the current directory.  In the 3rd and 4th forms, create
       links to each TARGET in DIRECTORY.  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 sys-
              tem restrictions, even for the superuser)

       -f, --force
              remove existing destination files

       -n, --no-dereference
              treat  destination  that is a symlink to a direc-
              tory 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

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

       -T, --no-target-directory
              treat LINK_NAME as a normal file

       -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 val-
       ues:

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

       numbered, t
              make numbered backups

       existing, nil
              numbered if numbered backups exist, simple other-
              wise

       simple, never
              always make simple backups

AUTHOR
       Written by Mike Parker and David MacKenzie.

REPORTING BUGS
       Report bugs to <bug-coreutils@gnu.org>.

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

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

              info ln

       should give you access to the complete manual.



ln 5.3.0                 November 2004                    LN(1)