What Is Hard Link?
If you don't know what a hard link is, it will behoove you to know about it as its a lot of fun, i.e., if you love playing with files. We know what you're thinking. "Why would I want to create a hard link?" You've probably been around long enough to know that the answer is always: "Because it's fun." A hard link directly connects a name to a specific file in a computer operating system. A soft link, in contrast, modifies the pointer to the file when its name is altered, but a hard link continues to reference the file itself. If you change the name of one of your files from "New Document" to "Old Document," your hard link will still point to the same file as before! That's not all, and you can also create multiple hard links to the same file. So if you have multiple documents open at once or want to share your work with a friend, this feature is great because it lets you keep track of exactly where your files are being saved without having to rename them manually every time. If you've ever seen those action movies where the hero flies around the city, dodging bullets and running for his life… well, that's what hard links are like. Hard links are more persistent in connecting a directory entry or file to the same memory space. Even if you delete one of the hard-linked files, the other file will still be accessible by its original name. Hard links resist file replacement, so if you rename something with a hard link, it'll still be known by its original name. The "alias effect" is when multiple files have the same name but different contents (like those action movies!). Having multiple hard links can result in this effect, where files are known under numerous names.
Related Terms by Storage
Join Our Newsletter
Get weekly news, engaging articles, and career tips-all free!
By subscribing to our newsletter, you're cool with our terms and conditions and agree to our Privacy Policy.












