NAME | SYNOPSIS | DESCRIPTION | RETURN VALUES | ERRORS | SUMMARY OF TRUSTED SOLARIS CHANGES | SEE ALSO
#include <unistd.h>int symlink(const char *name1, const char *name2);
The symlink() function creates a symbolic link name2 to the file name1. Either name may be an arbitrary pathname, the files need not be on the same file system, and name1 may be nonexistent.
The file to which the symbolic link points is used when an open(2) operation is performed on the link. A stat() operation performed on a symbolic link returns the linked-to file, while an lstat() operation returns information about the link itself. See stat(2). Unexpected results may occur when a symbolic link is made to a directory. To avoid confusion in applications, the readlink(2) call can be used to read the contents of a symbolic link.
The containing directory cannot be a multilevel directory. There is no privilege to bypass this restriction.
The link is created with its sensitivity label set to the sensitivity label of the calling process, and its user ID set to the effective user ID of the calling process. If the file system was not mounted with the BSD file-creation semantics flag and the set-gid bit of the parent directory is clear, the new link's group ID is set to the group ID of the directory in which the link is created. The new link's permission bits are set to 0777. Even when the containing directory has a default access control list (ACL), no ACL is set on the new link.
symlink() returns:
On success.
On failure, sets errno to indicate the error, and the symbolic link is not made.
Search permission is denied for a component of the path prefix of name2. To override this restriction, the calling process may assert one or both of these
privileges: PRIV_FILE_DAC_SEARCH
and PRIV_FILE_MAC_SEARCH
.
Write permission is denied to the containing directory of name2. To override this restriction, the calling process may assert one or both of these privileges: PRIV_FILE_DAC_WRITE
and PRIV_FILE_MAC_WRITE
.
The directory where the entry for the new symbolic link is being placed cannot be extended because the user's quota of disk blocks on that file system has been exhausted; the new symbolic link cannot be created because the user's quota of disk blocks on that file system has been exhausted; or the user's quota of inodes on the file system where the file is being created has been exhausted.
The file referred to by name2 already exists.
The name1 or name2 argument points to an illegal address.
An I/O error occurs while reading from or writing to the file system.
Too many symbolic links are encountered in translating name2.
The length of the name2 argument exceeds PATH_MAX, or the length of a name2 component exceeds NAME_MAX while _POSIX_NO_TRUNC is in effect.
A component of the path prefix of name2 does not exist.
The directory in which the entry for the new symbolic link is being placed cannot be extended because no space is left on the file system containing the directory; the new symbolic link cannot be created because no space is left on the file system which will contain the link; or there are no free inodes on the file system on which the file is being created.
The file system does not support symbolic links
A component of the path prefix of name2 is not a directory.
The file name2 would reside on a read-only file system.
Appropriate privilege is required to override access checks.
The containing directory cannot be a multilevel directory.
NAME | SYNOPSIS | DESCRIPTION | RETURN VALUES | ERRORS | SUMMARY OF TRUSTED SOLARIS CHANGES | SEE ALSO