symlink(2) - NetBSD Manual Pages

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SYMLINK(2)                NetBSD Programmer's Manual                SYMLINK(2)


NAME

     symlink - make symbolic link to a file


SYNOPSIS

     #include <unistd.h>

     int
     symlink(const char *name1, const char *name2);


DESCRIPTION

     A symbolic link name2 is created to name1 (name2 is the name of the file
     created, name1 is the string used in creating the symbolic link).  Either
     name may be an arbitrary path name; the files need neither to be on the
     same file system nor to exist.


RETURN VALUES

     Upon successful completion, a zero value is returned.  If an error oc-
     curs, the error code is stored in errno and a -1 value is returned.


ERRORS

     The symbolic link succeeds unless:

     [ENOTDIR]     A component of the name2 prefix is not a directory.

     [ENAMETOOLONG]
                   A component of a pathname exceeded {NAME_MAX} characters,
                   or an entire path name exceeded {PATH_MAX} characters.

     [ENOENT]      A component of the name2 path does not exist.

     [EACCES]      A component of the name2 path prefix denies search permis-
                   sion.

     [ELOOP]       Too many symbolic links were encountered in translating the
                   pathname.

     [EEXIST]      name2 already exists.

     [EIO]         An I/O error occurred while making the directory entry for
                   name2, or allocating the inode for name2, or writing out
                   the link contents of name2.

     [EROFS]       The file name2 would reside on a read-only file system.

     [ENOSPC]      The directory in which the entry for the new symbolic link
                   is being placed cannot be extended because there is no
                   space left on the file system containing the directory.

     [ENOSPC]      The new symbolic link cannot be created because there there
                   is no space left on the file system that will contain the
                   symbolic link.

     [ENOSPC]      There are no free inodes on the file system on which the
                   symbolic link is being created.

     [EDQUOT]      The directory in which the entry for the new symbolic link
                   is being placed cannot be extended because the user's quota
                   of disk blocks on the file system containing the directory
                   has been exhausted.

     [EDQUOT]      The new symbolic link cannot be created because the user's
                   quota of disk blocks on the file system that will contain
                   the symbolic link has been exhausted.

     [EDQUOT]      The user's quota of inodes on the file system on which the
                   symbolic link is being created has been exhausted.

     [EIO]         An I/O error occurred while making the directory entry or
                   allocating the inode.

     [EFAULT]      name1 or name2 points outside the process's allocated ad-
                   dress space.


SEE ALSO

     ln(1), link(2), readlink(2), unlink(2), symlink(7)


HISTORY

     The symlink() function call appeared in 4.2BSD.

NetBSD 1.4                       June 4, 1993                                2