Symbolic links and unlinking files

Oh, the good old Unix system, where names such as link and unlink provide that poetic sense of symmetry, luring you into a false sense of simplistic understanding, only to have you stumbling down a rabbit hole of system calls.

So, link and unlink should be as related as two peas in a pod, right? Well, they are... to a certain extent.

Symbolic links – the shortcut of the file world

Symbolic links are like the shortcuts on your desktop, only for files in the digital realm. Imagine your computer’s filesystem as a vast library filled with books (files), and you want a convenient way to access your favorite book (file) from multiple shelves (directories). Instead of running around the library, you put up a “shortcut” sign that says, “Hey, the book you’re looking for is on that shelf!” That’s a symbolic link! It’s like having a teleportation spell for your files, allowing you to instantly...