"In Linux, you often need multiple ways to refer to the same file or directory. Maybe you want a shortcut on your desktop, or perhaps different parts of a program need to access the same configuration file using different paths. Linux provides two primary mechanisms for this: hard links and soft links (also known as symbolic links or symlinks). While they might seem similar on the surface, they work fundamentally differently under the hood, leading to distinct behaviours and use cases."
"Understanding these differences is key to mastering the Linux filesystem. What are links At its core, a link is simply a pointer to a file or directory. It provides an alternative name or path through which you can access the target. The key distinction lies in how that pointer is implemented. In order to understand the internal working of hard and soft links, I would suggest to go over the below article on inodes."
Linux provides two main mechanisms—hard links and soft (symbolic) links—for creating alternative names or paths to files and directories. A link serves as a pointer that enables shortcuts or multiple access paths for desktop shortcuts, configuration files, or different program components. Hard and soft links may appear similar but are implemented differently at the filesystem level, producing different behaviors and trade-offs such as handling of target removal and cross-filesystem linking. Understanding inodes and their relationships to links clarifies these internal differences and informs proper use of each link type.
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