Key points of this
- It’s a file that masquerades as a file or folder.
- It appears in UNIX-related
- Its role is to relay the real thing, so it doesn’t have any substance in itself.
- It’s like a shortcut in Windows.
I’ll write it simply.
What is a symbolic link ?
A proxy file for files and folders in UNIX-based operating systems (such as Linux).
To be more specific:
In UNIX-based operating systems, this is an “order reception proxy file” that accepts orders for files and folders on behalf of others and relays them to the original files.
For those who are more familiar with Windows,
What is the UNIX-based name for “shortcuts” in Windows?
It can also be interpreted as follows.
- Basic Concepts
- A symbolic link is like a set of instructions to a real file or folder. The link itself does not contain any data; it simply provides a path to the real file or folder.
- Analogy
- For example, let’s say there is a store called “Digital Gadget Specialty Store” in a large shopping mall. Although a signboard saying “Digital Gadget Specialty Store” is hung in the shopping mall, the store does not actually stock any products. This store is merely an “order desk” that takes orders by showing catalogs of products procured from other stores. The actual inventory and sales of products are handled from a separate warehouse.
- A symbolic link acts like an “order window” that relays access to the actual location of the file or folder.
- Use on a computer
- For example, say you have an actual file called “File A” and a link called “Symbolic Link A'”. Opening Symbolic Link A’ will open File A. In other words, a symbolic link acts as a “shortcut” to a file or folder.
- characteristic
- A symbolic link is separate from the file it replaces, and deleting a symbolic link does not delete the file it replaces, meaning that deleting a link has no effect on the file or folder it points to.
That’s the basic explanation of symbolic links. Similar to “shortcuts” in Windows, they are a convenient feature that allows you to easily refer to files and folders in UNIX-based operating systems.