Symlinks

[simoncasey]

I've worked out how to create a symlink on the T3 to my NAS using file commander. Is there anyway to specify a different name for the link either as part of creating the link or by editing the link afterwards. I realise I can do that by telnet but I wanted to show somebody how to do it using the UI.

[prl]

I've worked out how to create a symlink on the T3 to my NAS using file commander. Is there anyway to specify a different name for the link either as part of creating the link or by editing the link afterwards. I realise I can do that by telnet but I wanted to show somebody how to do it using the UI.

You can almost certainly rename the link in the same way you can rename a file (but I haven't actually tried that). If you want to give a different target to the link, you need to delete it and make a new one.

In commandline terms:

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ln -s x y # create a link called y that references x
mv y z # The link is now called z, but it still references x

There's no way to do

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ln -s x y # create a link called y that references x
rewritelink w y # You can't make y point at something else

You need to do:

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ln -s x y # create a link called y that references x
rm y # delete the link y
ln -s w y # create a link called y that references w

But all in the FileCommander, of course.

[simoncasey]

If i try to rename the sympink using the blue button in file commander I get an error
mv: can't rename xxxx : Not a directory

[peteru]

If you want to give a different target to the link, you need to delete it and make a new one.

You can change a symlink from the command line without having to use rm.

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ln -nsf target existing_link

[simoncasey]

I found an easy solution to this and also what appears to be a bug in file commander.
What I was trying to do is use the UI to create a symlink to a directory on my NAS.
I created the link using file commander and then tried to rename it in file commander as the link is automatically given the same name as the destination folder
I get an error saying that it is not a directory, so it may not be checking the file type properly and assuming it is a directory and doing something specific (-r perhaps or ending the name with a /)

However, if I use the movie list I can rename the link without an error and all is good.

[dRdoS7]

Hi,

I found an easy solution to this and also what appears to be a bug in file commander.

You say: "bug", others say: "undocumented feature".

dRdoS7