LFCS Question #792: Real Exam Question with Answer & Explanation

Question

An administrator is trying to make a hard link to an ordinary file but ln returns an error. Which of the following could cause this?

Options

• AThe source file is hidden.
• BThe source file is read-only.
• CThe source file is a shell script.
• DThe administrator does not own the source file.
• EThe source and the target are on different filesystems.

Explanation

Creating a hard link to an ordinary file will fail if the source file and the target link are located on different filesystems.

Common mistakes.

• A. The hidden status (indicated by a leading dot) of a file does not prevent the creation of a hard link.
• B. A read-only source file does not prevent the creation of a hard link, as hard linking only creates a new directory entry pointing to the existing inode.
• C. The type of file content, such as a shell script, has no bearing on whether a hard link can be created.
• D. File ownership is not a strict requirement for creating a hard link, as long as the user has appropriate permissions (e.g., write permission in the target directory).

Concept tested. Hard link filesystem limitations

Reference. https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/html_node/ln-invocation.html

No community discussion yet for this question.