A SoftLink is is a special type of directory entry that allows almost transparent references to another directory entry, typically a file or a directory.
Feature | SoftLinks | HardLinks |
Can cross filesystems? | Yes | No |
Can refer to directories? | Yes | No |
Breaks when the file is moved? | No | Yes |
On Linux, soft links are called symbolic links.
Softlinks are created with the following command line pattern.
ln -s /path/from/origfile /path/to/newlink
You must have appropriate permissions in the directory where you're creating the link for this to work.