SYMLINK(2)                                                          SYMLINK(2)



NAME
       symlink - make symbolic link to a file

SYNOPSIS
       symlink(name1, name2)
       char *name1, *name2;

DESCRIPTION
       A  symbolic  link  _n_a_m_e_2  is created to _n_a_m_e_1 (_n_a_m_e_2 is the name of the
       file created, _n_a_m_e_1 is the string used in creating the symbolic  link).
       Either name may be an arbitrary path name; the files need not be on the
       same file system.

RETURN VALUE
       Upon successful completion, a zero value  is  returned.   If  an  error
       occurs, the error code is stored in _e_r_r_n_o and a -1 value is returned.

ERRORS
       The symbolic link is made unless on or more of the following are true:

       [ENOTDIR]      A component of the _n_a_m_e_2 prefix is not a directory.

       [EINVAL]       Either  _n_a_m_e_1  or  _n_a_m_e_2  contains  a character with the
                      high-order bit set.

       [ENAMETOOLONG] A component of either pathname exceeded 255  characters,
                      or  the  entire length of either path name exceeded 1023
                      characters.

       [ENOENT]       The named file does not exist.

       [EACCES]       A component of the _n_a_m_e_2 path prefix denies search  per‐
                      mission.

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

       [EEXIST]       _N_a_m_e_2 already exists.

       [EIO]          An I/O error occurred while making the  directory  entry
                      for _n_a_m_e_2, or allocating the inode for _n_a_m_e_2, or writing
                      out the link contents of _n_a_m_e_2.

       [EROFS]        The file _n_a_m_e_2 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 direc‐
                      tory.

       [ENOSPC]       The new symbolic link cannot be  created  because  there
                      there is no space left on the file system that will con‐
                      tain 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 contain‐
                      ing 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]       _N_a_m_e_1 or _n_a_m_e_2 points outside  the  process’s  allocated
                      address space.

SEE ALSO
       link(2), ln(1), unlink(2)



4.2 Berkeley Distribution       August 26, 1985                     SYMLINK(2)