Difference Between Hard Links and Soft (Symbolic) Links in Linux

Hard links and soft (symbolic) links are two types of links used in Linux file systems to create references to files. Here is a brief comparison between them:

Hard Links:

• Hard links create additional references to the same physical file on the disk.
• Changes made to the original file are reflected in all hard links as they all point to the same inode.
• Hard links cannot span across different file systems or partitions.
• Deleting the original file does not affect hard links as they are just references to the same data on disk.

Soft (Symbolic) Links:

• Soft links are pointers or shortcuts to the target file or directory.
• Changes made to the original file do not affect the symbolic link, as it points to the file by its path.
• Symbolic links can span across different file systems or partitions.
• If the original file or directory is deleted or moved, the symbolic link becomes broken.

Overall, the main difference between hard links and symbolic links is how they reference files and how they handle changes to the original file.