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ln -sf source_file target_file succeeds even when source_file does not exist.
ln -f source_file target_file on the other hand fail, as expected.
How can it be tuned to give error on the first case without first testing for the file existence explicitly (i.e. not [[ -e source_file ]] && ln -sf source_file target_file)
From the ln man page:
When creating hard links, each TARGET must exist.
No mention of symlinks there; in fact, this statement seems to imply that this is not the case for symlinks.
As I said in my comment on your question, when creating a symlink to a non-existent source, a broken link is created:
$ ln -sfv blah blabla
'blabla' -> 'blah'
$ file blabla
blabla: broken symbolic link to 'blah'
As far as ln is concerned, there's no reason to cry error: you asked for a symlink and it obliged. Shy of aliasing ln, I don't see a way to do what you want without explicitly checking for the existence of the source file.
-f or -s alone. When combined - it fails silently and I'd like to change that.
– akurtser
Jul 12 '13 at 21:46
-sf to the very first ln source_file target_file in your question, then?
– Joseph R.
Jul 12 '13 at 21:49
-salone with a non-existent source creates a broken symlink silently.ln -fwithout-smust of course fail because you're asking it to increase the ref count on a non-existent inode. – Joseph R. Jul 12 '13 at 21:51