LN(1)				 User Commands				 LN(1)



NAME
       ln - make links between files

SYNOPSIS
       ln [OPTION]... [-T] TARGET LINK_NAME   (1st form)
       ln [OPTION]... TARGET		      (2nd form)
       ln [OPTION]... TARGET... DIRECTORY     (3rd form)
       ln [OPTION]... -t DIRECTORY TARGET...  (4th form)

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.	When  creating
       hard links, each TARGET must exist.

       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	(note:
	      will  probably  fail  due  to  system restrictions, even for the
	      superuser)

       -f, --force
	      remove existing destination files

       -n, --no-dereference
	      treat destination that is a symlink to a directory as if it were
	      a normal file

       -i, --interactive
	      prompt whether to remove destinations

       -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

       -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

AUTHOR
       Written by Mike Parker and David MacKenzie.

REPORTING BUGS
       Report bugs to <bug-coreutils@gnu.org>.

COPYRIGHT
       Copyright (C) 2008 Free Software Foundation, Inc.  License GPLv3+:  GNU
       GPL version 3 or later <http://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)

       The full documentation for ln is maintained as a  Texinfo  manual.   If
       the  info and ln programs are properly installed at your site, the com-
       mand

	      info coreutils 'ln invocation'

       should give you access to the complete manual.



GNU coreutils 6.10		  April 2008				 LN(1)