This is a test version of Biostars. For the public version, visit https://www.biostars.org.
Why is the full path required when creating a symlink in Linux?

Hello, So I was learning about symbolic links in Linux and noticed that when creating a symlink using ln -s, it often requires specifying the full path of the target file or directory. I am trying to understand the reasoning behind this. I have two questions.

1.Why do we need to use the absolute path instead of just the relative path in some cases? 2.What are the best practices for creating symbolic links to ensure they work reliably?

Any explanation or examples would be very helpful. Thank you!

linux symlink command-line offtopic
• 583 views • link
updated by kalavattam • kalavattam • written by sumaiyaanne • sumaiyaanne

It does not require the absolute path. It is recommended because if you move the link, the relative path the link points to will change and it will no longer point to the file it's supposed to point to. For example, you can either say that your neighbor is 2 doors down from you, or you can specify their absolute path (full address) to someone. If that someone is with you, the relative path (2 doors from me) makes sense. The full address works best, no matter where the recipient is trying to navigate from. It's a similar difference.

• 0 views • link
written by Ram Ram

I’d just add one practical caveat: on shared systems (e.g., HPC clusters), absolute symlinks into your home directory can be problematic for other users, since those links are tied to your particular filesystem location and, on some systems, other users may not even be able to access that directory.

But in general, ln -s does not require an absolute path: absolute paths point to a fixed filesystem location, whereas relative paths are interpreted relative to the location of the symlink itself. So, for example, when symlinks are meant to live inside a directory tree that may be moved, copied, or shared, relative paths can be preferable. Absolute paths are fine when the point is to refer to some fixed location on the filesystem and portability is not a concern. That said, the considerations/caveats mentioned by Ram still apply.

• 0 views • link
written by kalavattam • kalavattam

This post does not fit the theme of this forum.

• 0 views • link
written by Michael Dondrup Michael Dondrup

1 answer

There is a good explanation for this here --> https://askubuntu.com/questions/994103/why-does-the-ln-command-need-an-absolute-path

• 0 views • link
written by GenoMax GenoMax

Log in to answer this question.

More posts like this