4.3BSD-UWisc/man/cat2/symlink.2

SYMLINK(2)          UNIX Programmer's Manual           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 permission.

     [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 direc-
                    tory 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



Printed 12/27/86         August 26, 1985                        1






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



                    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 sym-
                    bolic 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 direc-
                    tory 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)





















Printed 12/27/86         August 26, 1985                        2