How to create a symbolic link to a directory in Ubuntu?

Symbolic links (symlinks) in Linux are advanced shortcuts that point to another file or directory on your system. A symbolic link appears to be the same as the original file or directory it references, even though it's simply a pointer. This powerful feature allows you to create references to files and directories located elsewhere in the filesystem.

What are Symbolic Links?

Symbolic links are essentially file system objects that contain a path to another file or directory. When you access a symbolic link, the operating system automatically redirects you to the target location. This is particularly useful for organizing files, creating shortcuts, or managing storage across different partitions.

Practical Example

Suppose you have a program that stores files at /home/user/Downloads/.program, but you want to store those files on another partition mounted at /external/partition. You can:

• Move the .program directory to /external/partition/.program

• Create a symbolic link at /home/user/Downloads/.program pointing to /external/partition/.program

• The program continues working normally, but files are stored on the external partition

Creating Symbolic Links with the ln Command

The ln command is used to create both soft (symbolic) and hard links in Linux. To create symbolic links, we use the -s option.

Basic Syntax

ln -s [OPTIONS] TARGET LINK_NAME

Where:

• -s creates a symbolic link (soft link)

• TARGET is the path to the original file or directory

• LINK_NAME is the path where the symbolic link will be created

Examples

Creating a Directory Symbolic Link

ln -s /home/user/Downloads /home/user/Desktop/downloads_link

This creates a symbolic link named downloads_link on the Desktop that points to the Downloads directory.

Verification

To verify the symbolic link was created successfully, use the ls -la command:

ls -la /home/user/Desktop/downloads_link

lrwxrwxrwx 1 user user 18 May 20 11:32 downloads_link -> /home/user/Downloads

The l at the beginning indicates it's a symbolic link, and the arrow (->) shows the target directory.

Managing Symbolic Links

Removing Symbolic Links

To remove a symbolic link, use the rm command (this removes only the link, not the target):

rm /home/user/Desktop/downloads_link

Important Notes

• Use absolute paths to avoid broken links when moving directories

• Symbolic links can span different filesystems and partitions

• If the target is deleted, the symbolic link becomes "broken" but still exists

• Use readlink command to display the target of a symbolic link

Conclusion

Symbolic links are powerful tools in Linux for creating flexible file system references. They allow you to organize files efficiently, create shortcuts, and manage storage across different locations. The ln -s command makes creating directory symbolic links straightforward and is essential for system administration and file organization.