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Ok, so I have two programs which use the same MASSIVE data files, located in

/public_mm/DB/

/public_semrep/DATA/DB/

Is it possible to map one of these paths to the other folder so I don't have to save TWO copies of each of these HUGE files?

I'm pretty sure this can be done, I just don't know the lingo to search it up and find directions.

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    ln -s /path/to/source /path/to/destination
    – Avinash Raj
    May 13, 2014 at 16:40
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    You can also use mount with -o bind AFAIU
    – int_ua
    May 14, 2014 at 16:07

1 Answer 1

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To be more specific, you use the "link" command, ln. As with most all commands/programs, you can use ln --help or man ln to get more information, but the main thing to know is that there are two types of links, hard links and symbolic (soft) links.

Symbolic links, using the -s switch, are like windows shortcuts. You create a shortcut to the actual file, and if you delete the file, the link becomes invalid.

Hard links, the default, create a new entry for the file. The main thing to know here is that although they both use the same actual data, each one is somewhat independent. If you delete one, the other is still valid. Basically, the file has a link count, and the actual data does not get deleted until all the links are deleted.

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    Thanks! I would upvote, but I am lowbie scum :(
    – BAMF4bacon
    May 14, 2014 at 16:02
  • No problem - I'll help add some rep points. :-)
    – Marty Fried
    May 14, 2014 at 20:17

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