SYNOPSIS

       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)

DESCRIPTION

       In  the  1st form, create a link to TARGET with the name LINK_NAME.  In
       the 2nd form, create a link to TARGET in the current directory.  In the
       3rd  and  4th  forms, create links to each TARGET in DIRECTORY.  Create
       hard links by default, symbolic links with --symbolic.   When  creating
       hard links, each TARGET must exist.

       Mandatory  arguments  to  long  options are mandatory for short options
       too.

       --backup[=CONTROL]
              make a backup of each existing destination file

       -b     like --backup but does not accept an argument

       -d, -F, --directory
              allow the superuser to attempt to hard link  directories  (note:
              will  probably  fail  due  to  system restrictions, even for the
              superuser)

       -f, --force
              remove existing destination files

       -n, --no-dereference
              treat destination that is a symlink to a directory as if it were
              a normal file

       -i, --interactive
              prompt whether to remove destinations

       -s, --symbolic
              make symbolic links instead of hard links

       -S, --suffix=SUFFIX
              override the usual backup suffix

       -t, --target-directory=DIRECTORY
              specify the DIRECTORY in which to create the links

       -T, --no-target-directory
              treat LINK_NAME as a normal file

       -v, --verbose
              print name of each linked file

       --help display this help and exit

       existing, nil
              numbered if numbered backups exist, simple otherwise

       simple, never
              always make simple backups

AUTHOR

       Written by Mike Parker and David MacKenzie.

REPORTING BUGS

       Report bugs to <bug-coreutils@gnu.org>.

COPYRIGHT

       Copyright (C) 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
       This is free software.  You may redistribute copies  of  it  under  the
       terms       of       the      GNU      General      Public      License
       <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.  There is NO WARRANTY,  to  the
       extent permitted by law.

SEE ALSO

       link(2), symlink(2)

       The  full  documentation  for ln is maintained as a Texinfo manual.  If
       the info and ln programs are properly installed at your site, the  com-
       mand

              info ln

       should give you access to the complete manual.



GNU coreutils 6.9                 March 2007                             LN(1)