SYMLINK(2)                           BSD                            SYMLINK(2)



NAME
     symlink - make symbolic link to a file

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

DESCRIPTION
     symlink creates a symbolic link named name2 that references the object
     named by name1 (name2 is the name of the file created, and name1 is the
     string used in creating the symbolic link).  Either name may be an
     arbitrary pathname; the files need not be on the same file system.

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

     [ENOTDIR]        A component of the name2 prefix is not a directory.

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

     [ENOENT]         The named file does not exist.

     [EACCES]         A component of the name2 path prefix denies search
                      permission.

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

     [EEXIST]         name2 already exists.

     [EIO]            An I/O error occurred while making the directory entry
                      for name2, or allocating the inode for name2, or writing
                      out the link contents of name2.

     [EROFS]          The file name2 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
                      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.

     [EIO]            An I/O error occurred while making the directory entry
                      or allocating the inode.

     [EFAULT]         Either name1 or name2 points outside the process'
                      allocated address space.

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

DIAGNOSTICS
     A successful call returns 0.  A failed call returns -1 and sets errno as

     indicated under "Errors."

NOTES
     The following errors, not returned under Domain/OS BSD, may be returned
     under other implementations:

     [EINVAL]         Either name1 or name2 contains a character with the
                      high-order bit set.

     [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 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.