Soft Links vs Hard Links in Linux

In Linux, soft links (symbolic links) and hard links are two types of links used to point to files or directories. Here's a brief explanation of the difference between them:

Soft Links (Symbolic Links):

Soft links are references to a file or directory by its path. They are similar to shortcuts in Windows. If the original file is deleted, the soft link becomes broken.

Hard Links:

Hard links are direct pointers to the inode (data structure) of a file. They essentially create multiple directory entries pointing to the same file data on the disk. If the original file is deleted, the hard link will still retain the file data.

When to Use Each Type of Link:

• Use soft links when you want a reference to a file that can be easily moved or deleted without affecting the link.
• Use hard links when you want multiple directory entries to point to the same physical file data, such as for efficient storage usage or creating backups.

Understanding the differences between soft links and hard links in Linux can help you manage your files and directories more effectively.