ln (hard and symbolic links) in Linux CLI - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - ln (hard and symbolic links)

Start with original file

↓

Choose link type: hard or symbolic

↓

Create hard link

↓

Link points directly to file inode

↓

Use link as file reference

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Changes affect original and hard link

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Symbolic link broken if original removed

This flow shows how creating hard or symbolic links connects files differently: hard links share the same data, symbolic links point to file paths.

Execution Sample

Linux CLI

echo 'Hello' > file.txt
ln file.txt hardlink.txt
ln -s file.txt symlink.txt
cat hardlink.txt
cat symlink.txt

Creates a file, then a hard link and a symbolic link to it, then reads both links.

Execution Table

Step	Command	Action	Result/Output
1	echo 'Hello' > file.txt	Create file.txt with content 'Hello'	No output
2	ln file.txt hardlink.txt	Create hard link hardlink.txt to file.txt	No output
3	ln -s file.txt symlink.txt	Create symbolic link symlink.txt pointing to file.txt	No output
4	cat hardlink.txt	Read content via hardlink.txt	Hello
5	cat symlink.txt	Read content via symlink.txt	Hello

💡 All commands executed successfully; links created and content read.

Variable Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 1	After Step 2	After Step 3	After Step 4	After Step 5
file.txt content	none	Hello	Hello	Hello	Hello	Hello
hardlink.txt content	none	none	Hello	Hello	Hello	Hello
symlink.txt target	none	none	none	file.txt	file.txt	file.txt

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why does cat on hardlink.txt and symlink.txt both show 'Hello'?

Because hardlink.txt points directly to the same data as file.txt, and symlink.txt points to file.txt path, both access the same content (see execution_table steps 4 and 5).

What happens if file.txt is deleted?

Hardlink.txt still accesses the data because it points to the inode directly, but symlink.txt breaks because it points to the file path which no longer exists.

Why does ln -s create a symbolic link instead of a hard link?

The -s option tells ln to create a symbolic link, which stores the file path, unlike a hard link which shares the inode (see execution_table step 3).

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table, what is the content of hardlink.txt after step 2?

A Hello

B none

C file.txt

D Error

💡 Hint

Check the 'Result/Output' column at step 2 and variable_tracker for hardlink.txt content.

At which step is the symbolic link created?

A Step 1

B Step 2

C Step 3

D Step 4

💡 Hint

Look at the 'Command' column for ln -s command in execution_table.

If file.txt is deleted after step 5, what happens when you cat symlink.txt?

A Outputs 'Hello'

B Outputs nothing but no error

C Shows an error 'No such file or directory'

D Deletes symlink.txt automatically

💡 Hint

Recall that symbolic links point to file paths; if the target is missing, cat fails (see key_moments).

Concept Snapshot

ln command creates links to files.
Hard links share the same data (inode).
Symbolic links point to file paths.
Hard links remain if original deleted.
Symbolic links break if target removed.
Use ln -s for symbolic links.

Full Transcript

This lesson shows how the ln command creates hard and symbolic links in Linux. First, a file named file.txt is created with the text 'Hello'. Then, a hard link named hardlink.txt is made, which points directly to the same data as file.txt. Next, a symbolic link named symlink.txt is created, which points to the path of file.txt. Reading either hardlink.txt or symlink.txt outputs 'Hello' because both links access the same content. Hard links share the inode, so if the original file is deleted, the hard link still works. Symbolic links store the file path, so if the original file is deleted, the symbolic link breaks and shows an error. This visual trace helps understand the difference and behavior of hard and symbolic links.