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LINK(2)                     BSD System Calls Manual                    LINK(2)

NAME
     link -- make a hard file link

SYNOPSIS
     #include <unistd.h>

     int
     link(const char *path1, const char *path2);

DESCRIPTION
     The link() function call atomically creates the specified directory entry (hard link) path2 with the
     attributes of the underlying object pointed at by path1.  If the link is successful, the link count of
     the underlying object is incremented; path1 and path2 share equal access and rights to the underlying
     object.

     If path1 is removed, the file path2 is not deleted and the link count of the underlying object is
     decremented.

     In order for the system call to succeed, path1 must exist and both path1 and path2 must be in the same
     file system.  As mandated by POSIX.1, path1 may not be a directory.

RETURN VALUES
     Upon successful completion, a value of 0 is returned.  Otherwise, a value of -1 is returned and errno
     is set to indicate the error.

ERRORS
     Link() will fail and no link will be created if:

     [EACCES]           A component of either path prefix denies search permission.

     [EACCES]           The requested link requires writing in a directory with a mode that denies write
                        permission.

     [EACCES]           The current process cannot access the existing file.

     [EDQUOT]           The directory in which the entry for the new link is being placed cannot be extended
                        because the user's quota of disk blocks on the file system containing the directory
                        has been exhausted.

     [EEXIST]           The link named by path2 already exists.

     [EFAULT]           One of the pathnames specified is outside the process's allocated address space.

     [EIO]              An I/O error occurs while reading from or writing to the file system to make the
                        directory entry.

     [ELOOP]            Too many symbolic links are encountered in translating one of the pathnames.  This
                        is taken to be indicative of a looping symbolic link.

     [EMLINK]           The file already has {LINK_MAX} links.

     [ENAMETOOLONG]     A component of a pathname exceeds {NAME_MAX} characters, or an entire path name
                        exceeded {PATH_MAX} characters.

     [ENOENT]           A component of either path prefix does not exist.

     [ENOENT]           The file named by path1 does not exist.

     [ENOSPC]           The directory in which the entry for the new link is being placed cannot be extended
                        because there is no space left on the file system containing the directory.

     [ENOTDIR]          A component of either path prefix is not a directory.

     [EPERM]            The file named by path1 is a directory.

     [EROFS]            The requested link requires writing in a directory on a read-only file system.

     [EXDEV]            The link named by path2 and the file named by path1 are on different file systems.

SEE ALSO
     symlink(2), unlink(2)

STANDARDS
     The link() function is expected to conform to IEEE Std 1003.1-1988 (``POSIX.1'').

4th Berkeley Distribution      January 12, 1994      4th Berkeley Distribution