LN(1)                         User Commands                         LN(1)

NAME
       ln - make links between files

SYNOPSIS
       ln [OPTION]... [-T] TARGET LINK_NAME
       ln [OPTION]... TARGET
       ln [OPTION]... TARGET... DIRECTORY
       ln [OPTION]... -t DIRECTORY TARGET...

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 DIREC‐
       TORY.  Create hard links by default, symbolic  links  with  --sym‐
       bolic.  By default, each destination (name of new link) should not
       already exist.  When creating hard links, each TARGET must  exist.
       Symbolic links can hold arbitrary text; if later resolved, a rela‐
       tive link is interpreted in relation to its parent directory.

       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 system restrictions,  even
              for the superuser)

       -f, --force
              remove existing destination files

       -i, --interactive
              prompt whether to remove destinations

       -L, --logical
              dereference TARGETs that are symbolic links

       -n, --no-dereference
              treat  LINK_NAME  as a normal file if it is a symbolic link
              to a directory

       -P, --physical
              make hard links directly to symbolic links

       -r, --relative
              create symbolic links relative to link location

       -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 always

       -v, --verbose
              print name of each linked file

       --help display this help and exit

       --version
              output version information and exit

       The backup suffix  is  '~',  unless  set  with  --suffix  or  SIM‐
       PLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX.  The version control method may be selected via
       the --backup option or  through  the  VERSION_CONTROL  environment
       variable.  Here are the values:

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

       numbered, t
              make numbered backups

       existing, nil
              numbered if numbered backups exist, simple otherwise

       simple, never
              always make simple backups

       Using  -s ignores -L and -P.  Otherwise, the last option specified
       controls behavior when a TARGET is a symbolic link, defaulting  to
       -P.

AUTHOR
       Written by Mike Parker and David MacKenzie.

REPORTING BUGS
       GNU  coreutils  online  help:  <https://www.gnu.org/software/core‐
       utils/>
       Report   any   translation   bugs   to    <https://translationpro‐
       ject.org/team/>

COPYRIGHT
       Copyright  ©  2020 Free Software Foundation, Inc.  License GPLv3+:
       GNU GPL version 3 or later <https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
       This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
       There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

SEE ALSO
       link(2), symlink(2)

       Full documentation <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/ln>
       or available locally via: info '(coreutils) ln invocation'

GNU coreutils 8.32              April 2020                          LN(1)