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.
<pre> ln -s /path/from/origfile /path/to/newlink <pre>
You must have appropriate permissions in the directory where you're creating the link for this to work.
