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Date:      Wed, 9 Oct 2002 00:14:49 +0200 (CEST)
From:      Oliver Fromme <olli@secnetix.de>
To:        freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: help with ln "linking" Please! [attn manpage authors!]
Message-ID:  <200210082214.g98MEngt064064@lurza.secnetix.de>
In-Reply-To: <zgsmzg69y1.mzg@localhost.localdomain>

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Gary W. Swearingen <swear@attbi.com> wrote:
 > 
 > How about this:  ln [-fhinsv] source_filename [link_filename]

FWIW, the source doesn't have to be a file at all, in the
case of symbolic links.  I think the correct term is "link
target" in that case -- that's how it is called in the
standards (POSIX, SUSvX etc.).

Maybe the manpage should differentiate those two cases,
like this:

   ln [-fhinv] existing_filename [another_filename]
   ln -s [-fhinv] symlink_target [symlink_name]

That would be completely clear, IMO.  Although maybe a bit
too verbose.

Personally, I memorize it like this:  The order of arguments
to ln is the same as that of mv or cp -- the existing file
comes first (OK, in the case of symlinks it doesn't really
have to exist), and the new thing comes last.

Regards
   Oliver

-- 
Oliver Fromme, secnetix GmbH & Co KG, Oettingenstr. 2, 80538 München
Any opinions expressed in this message may be personal to the author
and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of secnetix in any way.

"All that we see or seem is just a dream within a dream" (E. A. Poe)

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