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  • Link Count - File Vs Directory

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    Iker Otxoa
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    The link count of a file indicates the number of hard links to that file, excluding soft links. The link count of a directory increases by 1 each time a subdirectory is created, as the parent directory gets a link to the new subdirectory. Deleting a hard link to a file or removing a subdirectory decreases the respective link count by 1. The document discusses how to view link counts using ls -l and provides examples of creating hard and soft links to files and subdirectories to demonstrate how the link counts change.

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    Link Count_ File vs Directory

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    The link count of a file indicates the number of hard links to that file, excluding soft links. The link count of a directory increases by 1 each time a subdirectory is created, as the parent directory gets a link to the new subdirectory. Deleting a hard link to a file or removing a subdirectory decreases the respective link count by 1. The document discusses how to view link counts using ls -l and provides examples of creating hard and soft links to files and subdirectories to demonstrate how the link counts change.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    14 views2 pages

    Link Count - File Vs Directory

    Uploaded by

    Iker Otxoa
    The link count of a file indicates the number of hard links to that file, excluding soft links. The link count of a directory increases by 1 each time a subdirectory is created, as the parent directory gets a link to the new subdirectory. Deleting a hard link to a file or removing a subdirectory decreases the respective link count by 1. The document discusses how to view link counts using ls -l and provides examples of creating hard and soft links to files and subdirectories to demonstrate how the link counts change.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    of 2

    17/3/2016

    Linkcount:FilevsDirectory

    Linkcount:FilevsDirectory

    Oneoftheresultsofthelslcommandisthelinkcount.Whatisthislinkcount?Howitisuseful?
    Whatisthedifferencebetweenthelinkcountofafileandadirectory?Letusdiscussinthisarticle.
    1.Whatisthelinkcountofafile?
    Thelinkcountofafiletellsthetotalnumberoflinksafilehaswhichisnothingbutthenumberof
    hardlinksafilehas.Thiscount,however,doesnotincludethesoftlinkcount.
    Note:Thesoftlinkisnotpartofthelinkcountsincethesoftlink'sinodenumberisdifferentfromthe
    originalfile.
    2.Howtofindthelinkcountofafileordirectory?
    Thelinkcountcanbeseenbyusingthelslcommand:
    $lsltest.c
    rwxrxrx1guruusers267Jul1816:59test.c
    Bydefault,afilewillhavealinkcountof1i.e.,anynewfilecreatedwillhavealinkcount1.
    Letusnowcreateasoftlinkandahardlinktothefiletest.c:
    $lntest.ctest1.c#hardlink
    $lnstest.ctest2.c#softlink
    $lsltest*.c
    rwxrxrx2guruusers267Jul1816:59test1.c*
    lrwxrwxrwx1guruusers6Jul3116:13test2.c>test.c*
    rwxrxrx2guruusers267Jul1816:59test.c*
    Thefile,test.c,nowhasalinkcountof2becausethereisahardlinkcreatedforthefile.Alsonote
    thatthecreationofsoftlinkedfiledidnothaveanyimpactonthelinkcount.
    3.Doesthelinkcountdecreasewheneverthehardlinkisdeleted?
    Yes.Whenthehardlinkfileismovedordeleted,thelinkcountoftheoriginalfilegetsreduced.
    $rmtest1.c
    $lsltest*.c
    rwxrxrx1guruusers267Jul1816:59test1.c*
    lrwxrwxrwx1guruusers6Jul3116:13test2.c>test.c*
    4.Whendoesthelinkcountofadirectorychange?
    Thelinkcountofadirectoryincreaseswheneverasubdirectoryiscreated.
    http://www.theunixschool.com/2012/10/linkcountfilevsdirectory.html

    1/2

    17/3/2016

    Linkcount:FilevsDirectory

    Letuscreateadirectory"xyz":
    $mkdirxyz
    $lsldxyz
    drwxrxrx2guruusers4096Jul3116:31xyz/
    Adirectory"xyz"iscreatedandthedefaultlinkcountofanydirectoryis2.Theextracountis
    becauseforeverydirectorycreated,alinkgetscreatedintheparentdirectorytopointtothisnew
    directory.
    Letuscreate2subdirectoriesunderthe"xyz"directory"
    $mkdirpxyz/abc
    $mkdirpxyz/efg
    $lsldxyz
    drwxrxrx4guruusers4096Jul3116:32xyz/
    Checkoutthelinkcountnow!!.Thecountincreasedbecauseforeverydirectorycreated,alinkis
    createdfortheparentdirectorytoaccessit.Since2newdirectoriesarecreated,thelinkcount
    increasedby2andhencebecame4.Hence,wecanalsosaythatthelinkcountofadirectoryminus
    2givesyouthetotalnumberofsubdirectoriespresentinthedirectory.
    Likethelinkcountofthefile,thelinkcountofthedirectoryalsoreducesby1wheneverasub
    directoryismovedordeleted.
    2949

    http://www.theunixschool.com/2012/10/linkcountfilevsdirectory.html

    2/2

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