# Issue the following Linux command to view the contents of your linked file in your '''home''' directory:<br><span style="color:blue;font-weight:bold;font-family:courier;">cat ~/data-file.hard.lnk</span><br><br>What do you notice? What does this tell you about hard links?<br><br>We will now learn how to create '''symbolic links'''.<br><br>

# Issue the following Linux command to create a directory called '''~/links2''':<br><span style="color:blue;font-weight:bold;font-family:courier;">mkdir ~/links2</span><br><br>'''NOTE:''' You will remain in your '''home''' directory to get practice using pathnames.<br><br>

# Use a text editor to create a file called <span style="font-weight:bold;font-family:courier;">~/links2/text-file.txt</span><br>(i.e. <u>without</u> changing to the '''links2''' directory). <br><br>[[Image:symbolic-link-inode1.png|thumb|right|500px|'''Symbolic links''' are '''pointers''' (i.e. pathnames) to '''regular files''' and '''directories'''.<br>They do '''NOT''' share the same '''i-node'''.]]

# Enter the following text displayed below:<br><br><span style="font-family:courier;font-weight:bold;">This is line one<br>This is line two<br>This is line three<br><br></span>