How to Create Symbolic Links in Ubuntu 22.04

A symbolic link in Linux is similar to the Shortcuts in Microsoft windows like these symbolic links point to some other file placed in the Linux directory. There are two types of Symbolic links, one known as the soft links and the other known as hard links.

Soft links just point to some other file or directory in the file system of Ubuntu with the same name and path, whereas hard links are created with some new names, just like copies of original files.

In this blog, the method of creating the symbolic links in Ubuntu will be explored by demonstrating with some simple examples.

How

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to Create Symbolic Links in Ubuntu 22.04?

In Ubuntu, by default, the ln utility is available, which links files/folders to some other files. The ln command utility is used to create the symbolic links by using the option of “-s”. The general syntax of using the ln command:

In the above expressions, the user is supposed to provide the two parameters, one of File whose symbolic link is to be created and the other is Link to which the file is to be linked. If the user does not provide the Link, then Ubuntu will link the file with the present directory.

For a better understanding, following the above-mentioned general syntax, the symbolic link is being created for the File “MyCFile” using the command:

List down the contents of the directory to confirm the symbolic link:

In the above command, “-l” option is used to display the link of the file.

How to Create Symbolic Links in Ubuntu?

Creating the symbolic links of the directories is similar to creating links of files. For example, we will create the symbolic link of /Home/Music to ~/my_music:

How to Remove Symbolic Links in Ubuntu 22.04?

There are two ways either by deleting the symbolic link or unlink the symbolic link. To unlink the link of a file with its symbolic link, use the command:

Similarly, if you want to remove the symbolic link, then run the command:

The link has been deleted from Ubuntu.

Conclusion

The “ln” command utility with its option of “-s” is used to create symbolic links of files and directories in Ubuntu 22.04. In this blog, different creations of symbolic links have been explored with the help of some examples.