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Create Symbolic Links
In Linux, we can use ln
to create a link between files. A common use case is shown below, where we have a symbolic link from the current configuration file config_settings_v293.txt
and a link config_setting.txt
. In our code, we can refer config_settings.txt
as if we were refering to config_settings_v293.txt
. However, when a new version of the configuration settings is released, config_settings_v294.txt
, we can swap the symbolic link from config_settings_v293.txt
to config_settings_v294.txt
without changing all the code that references config_settings.txt
.
Note that -nsf
is a common set of options for ln
:
-s
make symbolic links instead of hard links-f
if target file delete it so we can replace it with our new link-n
if the target file or directory is a link, don’t follow the link
Create File
echo 'Configuration settings version 293' > config_settings_v293.txt
Create Symbolic Link To File
ln -nsf config_settings_v293.txt config_settings.txt
View Symbolic Link
cat config_settings.txt
Configuration settings version 293
Create New File
echo 'Configuration settings version 294' > config_settings_v294.txt
Create Symbolic Link To New File
ln -nsf config_settings_v294.txt config_settings.txt
View Symbolic Link
cat config_settings.txt
Configuration settings version 294