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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  DIRECTORY.	Create
       hard  links  by	default,  symbolic links with --symbolic.  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 relative 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	 (this
	      will  probably fail due to system	restrictions, even for the su-
	      peruser)

       -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
	      with -s, create 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  con-
       trols behavior when a TARGET is a symbolic link,	defaulting to -L.

AUTHOR
       Written by Mike Parker and David	MacKenzie.

REPORTING BUGS
       GNU coreutils online help: <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>
       Report any translation bugs to <https://translationproject.org/team/>

COPYRIGHT
       Copyright  (C) 2025 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 9.6		 January 2025				 LN(1)

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