#MACUPDATE SYMBOLIC LINKER HOW TO#

The only issue is that BSD (UNIX) tools don't know what aliases are, since the kernel does not know about aliase files on HFS filesystems. Hard links point to the same inode (file ID on HFS filesystems), so if an original file moves around, its hard link would not be broken because it is one and the same file reference.Īliases are constructs that adopt the linking techniques of both one-volume symbolic and hard links.

However, symbolic links work across mounted filesystems.Īnother mechanism that is useful is a hard link. Once the original file moves, its symbolic link is broken. Symbolic links only assist if the original never moves. if a file of that path does not exist, or a file of that path has aĭifferent type or creator, the Alias Manager declares that alias as if the file of that ID does not exist, or it is not of the same type andĬreator (another reason why filename suffixes suck!), it looks for the fileīy its pathname at the time the alias was created. it looks for the original file by its ID. If you make an alias, and move the original around, the Alias Manager will use the following technique to find its corresponding original: aliases are HFS-specific constructs which allow the Mac OS File Manager to track locations of other files based on volume ID and file ID. % ln -s ~/ ~/Desktop/HomeThen click on your Desktop and you'll have a pretty 'Application' and 'Home' icon. Then use the Terminal to create a real symlink: % ln -s /Applications ~/Desktop/Applications First delete any aliases from your Desktop that have a pretty icon in the Finder.

#MACUPDATE SYMBOLIC LINKER HOW TO#

While this hint does not cover how to set your own icon, you can use the icon the folder provides by using UNIX's symbolic links. If you make aliases on your Desktop of folders like 'Home' and 'Applications,' you'll notice that they all have the same generic folder icon.

Macupdate symbolic linker