Difference Between Hard Link and Soft Link:-
HARD LINK:-
Hard link is acts
like a mirror copy of the original file. These links share the same inodes.
Changes made to the original or hard linked file will
reflect the other. When you delete hard link nothing will happen to the other.
Hard links can’t cross file systems.
Features:-
1)
Have same inodes number.
2)
Ls –l command shows all the links with the link
column shows number of links.
3)
Links have actual file contents.
4)
Removing any link, just reduces the link count,
but doesn’t affect other links.
5)
You cannot create a hard link for a directory.
6)
If original file is removed then the link will
still show the content of the file.
Example:-
HardLink:-
[root@localhost ]# mkdir test
[root@localhost ]# cd test/
[root@localhost test]# ls
[root@localhost test]# touch test1
[root@localhost test]# ln test1 test2
[root@localhost test]# ls -il test1
test2
1335106
-rw-r--r--. 2 root root 0 Jan 19 16:29 test1
1335106
-rw-r--r--. 2 root root 0 Jan 19 16:29 test2
[root@localhost test]#
From the output you can noticed that both file has same
inode number and Size also same.
Now
remove test1 and check the content of test2 file.
[root@localhost test]# rm
test 1
rm: remove regular empty file `test1'? y
[root@localhost test]# cat test2
You
will still be able to same content in test2.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Soft
Link:-
Soft Link is actual link to the original file. These Links
will have a different inodes Value.
Softlink points to the original file so if original file is
deleted the soft link fails. If you delete
The soft link, nothing will happen to file. The reason for
this is, the actual file or directory’s
Inode is different from the “Soft Link” created file’s
inode,Hard links can cross file System.
Features:-
1)
Soft links have different inodes number.
2)
Ls –l command shows all link with second column
value 1 and the link points to original file.
3)
Soft Link contains the path for original file
and not the contents.
4)
Removing soft link doesn’t affect anything but
removing but removing original file, the link points to the nonexistent file.
5)
A soft link can link to a directory.
Example:-
[root@localhost test]# ln -s
test2 test3
[root@localhost test]# ls -li test2 test3
1335106
-rw-r--r--. 1 root root 0 Jan 19 16:29
test2
1336783
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 7 Jan 19 16:39 test3 -> test2
[root@localhost test]#
From the output you can notice that the both file have
different inode number and Permissions.
[root@localhost test]# cat
test2
[root@localhost test]# cat test3
Now remove the original file:
[root@localhost test]# rm
test2
rm: remove regular empty file `test2'? y
[root@localhost test]# ls
test3
It will
display Symbolic link test3 but if you
try to list the contents it will tell
you that there is no such file getting error message.
[root@localhost test]# cat
test3
cat:
test3: No such file or directory
[root@localhost test]# ls
