I want to create a symlink
~/.pm2/logs -> /opt/myapp/log
When I run
ln -sFf /opt/myapp/log ~/.pm2/logs
I get a symlink
~/.pm2/logs/log -> /opt/myapp/log
which is not what I want.
I'd prefer a POSIX-compatible solution if possible.
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You already have a directory at ~/.pm2/logs. Since that directory exists, the symbolic link is put inside it.
Would you want that ~/.pm2/logs is a symbolic link rather than a directory, then you will have to remove or rename that existing directory first.
answered Apr 12 '19 at 17:00
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1I thought "-Ff" flags are specifically made to replace target directory so I don't have to remove it manually. Am I wrong? – ptkvsk Apr 12 '19 at 17:02
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2@ptkvsk The
-Fflag does something completely different and is not a POSIX option. The-fflag would not unlink a directory. The standard specifies that if the target (the last operand) is a directory, then the link will be place inside it. The-foption does not change this behaviour. – Kusalananda♦ Apr 12 '19 at 17:09 -
Those flags likely only work with hard links, as well. With symbolic links it doesn't matter what the Target is, a file or a directory. to hard links it does matter. – 0xSheepdog Apr 12 '19 at 17:23
As other answers say, there is already a directory there.
To avoid this and instead get an error-message, use the -T option, unfortunately I don't think this is Posix (it is GNU).
From the Gnu ln manual (same for cp and mv).
ln [OPTION]... [-T] TARGET LINK_NAME (1st form)
ln [OPTION]... TARGET (2nd form)
ln [OPTION]... TARGET... DIRECTORY (3rd form)
ln [OPTION]... -t DIRECTORY TARGET... (4th form)
Note form 1 without the -T is ambiguous with form 3 (both have two arguments).
In Posix you can force this non-ambiguity by putting a / at the end of a directory name, in form 3, but I don't think there is any thing you can do the other way around. This is why Gnu added the -T option.
answered Apr 12 '19 at 19:25
Remove the ~/.pm2/logs directory first, because your target is an existing directory, the link is created inside it.
