What is simlinks?

Symbolic links, also known as symlinks or soft links, are special types of files that point to another file or directory in the file system. They act as shortcuts or aliases to the original file or directory, allowing programs and users to access them without having to know the actual location or path.

Symlinks are created using the ln command in Unix-like systems, and they can be made to point to other files or directories located in the same file system or in a different one. They are particularly useful for simplifying complex directory structures, providing compatibility with legacy systems or software, sharing resources across different users or groups, and managing file versions and backups.

Symlinks have some advantages over hard links, which are other types of links that point to the same inode or file data on disk. One advantage is that they can point to a file or directory that does not exist yet or has been moved or renamed, while hard links require the original path to remain unchanged. Another advantage is that they can be distinguished from the original file or directory using their permissions, ownership, and timestamps, while hard links share those attributes with the original.

However, symlinks have some drawbacks as well. One is that they require an extra layer of indirection and processing to access the file or directory they point to, which may slow down certain operations or increase the risk of errors or security issues. Another is that they can be broken or invalidated if the original file or directory is deleted or moved to a different file system or device.