Use ln -s TARGET LINK_NAME to create a symbolic link (symlink): the target path comes first, and the new link name comes second. A symlink stores a pathname rather than a second copy of the target, so it can redirect a file or an entire directory tree, be switched during a deployment, or become dangling when its target is moved or deleted.
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What a symbolic link is
A symbolic link is a filesystem directory entry containing a path to another file or directory. Programs that open the link normally follow that stored path and operate on the destination. The link itself has its own name and path, but it does not duplicate the target’s contents.
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Because the link stores a pathname, a symlink can remain present even when that pathname no longer resolves. GNU Coreutils documentation describes this as a dangling symbolic link; there is no restriction against creating one. A dangling link is not a malformed directory entry. It is a link whose target is currently missing, renamed, inaccessible through the recorded path, or otherwise unresolved.
Symlinks are useful for configuration conventions such as sites-enabled, stable application paths such as /srv/app, and release switches such as /srv/www/current. Treat a directory symlink as a control-plane change: one short path can redirect every access to a large subtree.
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Prerequisites and a safe working method
You need a Linux account with permission to create or remove a directory entry in the parent directory of the link. Creating a link does not require write permission to the target, although applications that later follow the link still need their normal permissions on the destination.
Before changing a production link, identify the exact parent directory, target, and intended link name. A reliable sequence is:
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ls -landreadlink. - Decide whether the target should be absolute or relative.
- Create or replace only the intended link entry.
- Resolve the result with
readlink -forrealpath. - Run the service’s configuration check before reloading or restarting it.
Keep paths quoted in scripts when they can contain spaces or shell metacharacters. Use -- before a path supplied by an operator or another process when the command supports it, so a name beginning with a hyphen is not parsed as an option.
Create a symlink to a file
The basic syntax is:
ln -s TARGET LINK_NAMEThe first operand is always the target path and the second is the new link pathname. For example, this enables one Nginx site configuration by linking the file into the enabled directory:
ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/example.conf /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/example.confConfirm the entry before asking the service to read it:
ls -l /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/example.confThe listing should show the link name, an arrow, and the recorded target text. If a file already exists at the destination, ordinary ln refuses to replace it rather than silently destroying it.
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The same syntax works when the target is a directory:
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ln -s /srv/releases/app-2026.10 /srv/appAccesses through /srv/app now resolve into the release directory. The link is still only one directory entry; the files remain under /srv/releases/app-2026.10. Do not use a recursive removal command merely because the link points to a directory. Recursive operations can traverse into the target and affect real data if you operate on the resolved directory instead of the link entry.
Directory links are often used as stable names for changing releases. Verify the destination and ownership of both parent directories before switching one, because a typo can redirect a service to an unintended tree.
Absolute and relative symbolic links
An absolute target begins at the filesystem root, such as /srv/releases/app-2026.10. A relative target is interpreted from the directory that contains the symlink, not from the shell’s current working directory and not from the directory of a later user who follows it.
| Characteristic | Absolute target | Relative target |
|---|---|---|
| Example | /srv/releases/app-2026.10 |
../releases/app-2026.10 |
| Resolution | Starts at /. |
Starts in the symlink’s containing directory. |
| When the containing directory moves | Still points to the same absolute pathname. | Can continue to work when the link and target move together. |
| Mount or network portability | Can fail or point to the wrong place when the same tree is mounted under another prefix or exposed on another machine. | Avoids assuming a particular mount prefix when the relative layout is preserved. |
| Human readability | The destination is immediately visible as a full path. | You must reason from the link’s parent directory. |
Creating a relative link manually
Suppose the link will live in /srv/www/current-parent and the release directory is a sibling under /srv/www. Change to the link’s parent and create the link with the relative pathname:
cd /srv/www/current-parent
ln -s ../releases/app-2026.10 currentThe ../ component is evaluated from /srv/www/current-parent, so the stored text points to /srv/www/releases/app-2026.10 when followed through current. Running the command from another directory without accounting for the link’s eventual parent can create a link that resolves somewhere else.
Let GNU ln calculate the relative path
GNU Coreutils provides ln -s --relative TARGET LINK_NAME. It can calculate a relative target from canonicalized paths, reducing manual counting of .. components. Use it when both paths are known and you want the stored link to remain relative to the link location. Check the result with readlink; canonicalization can expose missing components or path assumptions before the link is used.
Creating an absolute link
ln -s /srv/releases/app-2026.10 /srv/www/currentThis link continues to name /srv/releases/app-2026.10 even if /srv/www is moved elsewhere. That fixed behavior is valuable when the server’s directory layout is stable, but it is a liability if the same filesystem tree is mounted below a different prefix.
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Inspect the link itself and its destination
Use tools that distinguish the link entry from the path it names:
ls -l /srv/www/current
readlink /srv/www/current
readlink -f /srv/www/current
realpath /srv/www/currentls -ldisplays the link name and the stored target text.readlinkprints the stored text without resolving it.readlink -fresolves a canonical destination, following intermediate links and normalizing path components.realpathalso reports the canonical path when resolution succeeds.
A failed readlink -f or realpath call is a useful diagnostic signal: some component may be missing, inaccessible, or broken. It does not change the link.
Test a link in a shell script
Use test -L to identify a symlink itself, then test whether its target currently resolves:
if test -L "$link"; then
printf 'link text: %sn' "$(readlink -- "$link")"
if test -e "$link"; then
printf 'target resolvesn'
else
printf 'dangling linkn' >&2
fi
fitest -L remains true for a dangling link because the directory entry is still a symlink. The second test separates an existing link from one whose target cannot be found.
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Change a symlink without deleting its target
By default, ln refuses to replace an existing destination. GNU ln offers three different replacement behaviors:
| Option | Behavior | Operational use |
|---|---|---|
-f |
Unconditionally remove an existing destination and create the new link. | Automation only after validating that the destination is the expected entry. |
-i |
Prompt before replacing an existing destination. | Interactive maintenance or a change window where an operator must approve the replacement. |
-b |
Back up an existing destination before replacing it. | When preserving a rollback copy is more useful than immediate deletion. |
For a release switch, inspect first, replace deliberately, and verify afterward:
readlink -f /srv/www/current || true
ln -sfn /srv/releases/app-2026.11 /srv/www/current
readlink -f /srv/www/currentHere -s requests a symbolic link, -f permits replacement, and -n prevents a destination symlink to a directory from being treated as a directory during the operation. The exact combination should be tested on the local GNU/Linux system before production use.
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When the destination might itself be a symlink to a directory and your intention is to replace that link entry, GNU’s -T (also written --no-target-directory) makes the no-directory interpretation explicit. This helps avoid following a destination link and creating a new entry inside an unintended directory.
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- Run
ls -ld /srv/www/currentandreadlink /srv/www/currentto establish what currently exists. - Check that the new release directory exists and is the expected path.
- In a manual change, use
ln -snior another explicitly interactive form when your locallnsupports the options together. - In automation, verify that the current destination is either absent or the expected symlink before using force replacement.
- Resolve the new link and run the application’s or service’s validation command before reload.
Do not assume that a short replacement command is safe merely because the target is a directory. A mistaken destination pathname can alter the route to an entire application tree.
Remove a symlink safely
Remove the link name, not the destination:
rm -- /srv/www/current
# or
unlink -- /srv/www/currentThese commands remove the directory entry for /srv/www/current. They do not remove the referenced file or directory. Confirm the object first:
ls -ld /srv/www/current
readlink /srv/www/currentNever add -r simply because the link points to a directory. If you intentionally need to delete the target tree, resolve and inspect that target as a separate operation, then use a command appropriate to the real directory. Keeping link removal and target deletion as two distinct decisions prevents accidental data loss.
Find broken symbolic links
To search a tree for symlinks whose targets do not resolve, use GNU find‘s -xtype l test:
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readlink -- /srv/www/path/to/link
ls -ld /srv/www/path/to/linkThen choose one of three repairs:
- Recreate or update the link if the target was intentionally renamed or moved.
- Restore the missing target if the link is still the correct interface.
- Remove the stale link with
rm -- LINK_NAMEorunlink -- LINK_NAMEwhen nothing should use it.
Do not bulk-delete every result. A dangling link may be a planned placeholder, a mount that is temporarily absent, or a path owned by another deployment process. Confirm the search scope, ownership, and intended state first.
Choosing the right link style for deployments
Use an absolute link when the pathname is authoritative
An absolute link is straightforward to read in logs and remains pointed at the same pathname when the directory containing the link is moved. It suits a server whose filesystem layout is fixed and documented. The trade-off is that the link assumes the same root-level prefix everywhere it is used.
Use a relative link when the tree should move as a unit
A relative link can travel with its containing directory and target when their relationship stays the same. It is often better for relocatable application bundles, chroots, staged trees, and environments where a mount prefix differs between machines. Its cost is operational: administrators must calculate resolution from the link’s parent, not from the current shell directory.
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Validate the switch as a control-plane change
For a release directory, inspect the existing link, confirm the new directory, replace only the link entry, resolve the result, and validate the service configuration. Keep the old release until the service has been checked so that a deliberate rollback remains possible. The symlink command changes name resolution; it does not copy files, migrate permissions, or prove that the new application is healthy.
Common failure modes and fixes
“File exists” from ln
The destination pathname already exists. Inspect it with ls -ld and readlink. If it is the intended symlink, choose an explicit replacement policy such as interactive, backup, or force. If it is a real file or directory, stop and determine why it is there before removing anything.
The link is dangling immediately after creation
Read the stored text with readlink and resolve it with readlink -f. For a relative link, evaluate the target from the directory containing the link. A common mistake is calculating the relative path from the directory where the ln command was typed rather than from the link’s eventual parent.
A service still reads the old release
Resolve the link and inspect the service’s configured pathname. The process may have opened files before the switch, may use a different path, or may require a configuration test and reload. Confirm the final link with readlink -f and use the service’s documented validation command before reloading.
A relative link works on one host but not another
Compare the parent directory and the relative layout on both hosts. Relative links require that relationship to remain intact. If the hosts intentionally use different layouts, create links appropriate to each layout or use an absolute path where a fixed pathname is the actual contract.
Removal appears to delete a directory
Stop and inspect with ls -ld. Removing a symlink with rm LINK_NAME or unlink LINK_NAME removes only the link entry. A recursive command aimed at a resolved directory is a different and potentially destructive operation.
Portability and GNU-specific options
The behavior and basic ln -s TARGET LINK_NAME syntax are standard across common Linux systems, but option details vary on non-GNU Unix implementations. GNU Coreutils 9.11 documents --relative, -f, -i, -b, and --no-target-directory; confirm availability and semantics with the local ln --help output and manual page before placing GNU-specific long options in a portable script.
Scripts should also account for command failure. Check exit statuses, quote variable-expanded paths, and print the resolved destination after a change. A successful creation command proves that a directory entry was made; it does not prove that the target exists or that an application can use it.
Quick Recap
Operational checklist
- Put the target first and the link name second:
ln -s TARGET LINK_NAME. - Choose absolute or relative storage based on relocation, mount layout, and readability requirements.
- Remember that relative targets are resolved from the link’s containing directory.
- Inspect stored text with
readlink; resolve the canonical destination withreadlink -forrealpath. - Expect ordinary
lnto refuse an existing destination. - Select force, interactive, or backup replacement deliberately.
- Use
-Twhere replacing a destination link entry must not follow it as a directory. - Remove a link with
rm -- LINK_NAMEorunlink -- LINK_NAME, never with recursive removal by default. - Find unresolved links with
find PATH -xtype l -printand review each result before repair. - After a deployment switch, resolve the link and validate the consuming service.
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