ln

Last Updated November 26, 2022 Version 2.9.3.4
ln --anchor c:\ --destination c:\ --copy e:\ y:\
thus are restored in the destination as junctions/symbolic links pointing to places below c:\ properly.
The option --destination is needed because the inner junctions found on e: shall point to c: even if the destination of
this copy operation is y:\
ln --anchor c:\ --destination c:\ --anchor d:\ --destination d:\ --anchor e:\ --destination e:\ --copy f:\ y:\
The order of --anchor and --destination in the above example is important: They build kind of pairs.
ln --backup --anchor c:\ --mirror e:\ y:\
If this should be done via snapshots, see Copying a whole drive via snapshots.
The above example does not use --destination. This means the inner junctions/symbolic links, which point to c: on the source now in the destination y: point to y:
Directory with blanks
Directory with blanks
--deleteDeLorean Delete
to deleting a specific Delorean Copy from a Delorean Set it is easy. Simply press delete in Explorer, or use the --delete
ln --delete x:\Bkp2
In the above example the directories and files below x:\Bkp2 are deleted.
But wait! It is that easy if a Delorean Copy contains no files with ReadOnly attributes. Otherwise it's getting sophisticated:
Logging
The logging generated by DeLorean Copy/Smart Copy/Smart Clone/Smart Mirror looks like e.g.:
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Last Updated February 9, 2021 Version 2.9.3.3
--destinationSpecify Destination
The --destination option can only be used in combination with the --source option.
Please see here
is also a valid wildcard expression for --includedir.
Wildcard expression shall not span more than one directory level: e.g. *fotos\\temp* will not succeed
Keeping several destinations
is created which points to SourceDirectory.
February 9, 2021
Version 2.9.3.3
Introduced a static version of ln.exe for use under e.g. WinPE
Changed the behavior related to cirularties. No error message raised, but circularity are broken properly.
Win64
ln64.zip (2.30Mb)
Win32
Simply download and extract
ln.zip (2.29Mb)
to your favourite tools directory. All neccesary runtime dlls are already installed on your system, but if not grab it from
here.
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Last Updated January 28, 2021 Version 2.9.3.2
Merging into one destination
does not create a "c:\Destination\Location 2" and a "c:\Destination\Location 1".
Keeping several destinations
To keep several destinations the --destination option must be used:
The --destination option must always be used with a corresponding --source option building pairs. The
Mirror to several destinations
The --mirror option can also be used to mirror to several destinations
ln --source "c:\Location 2" --destination "c:\Destination\Location 2" --mirror "c:\Location 1" "c:\Destination\Location 1"
Make sure that c:\Destination already exists
January 28, 2021
Version 2.9.3.2
Multisource aka --destination in combination with --mirror did not work.

Last Updated January 14, 2021 Version 2.9.3.1
January 14, 2021
Version 2.9.3.1
Symbolic Link creation required admin even in developer mode.

Last Updated January 4, 2021 Version 2.9.3.0
ln sourcefile.txt dest_dir
In the above example sourcefile.txt gets hard-linked to dest_dir\sourcefile.txt
ln --absolute --symbolic Sourcefile.txt Destination.txt
In the above example Sourcefile.txt gets linked to Destination.txt
with an absolute target path.
ln --absolute --symbolic Sourcefile.txt DestinationDirectory
In the above example a symbolic link DestinationDirectory\Sourcefile.txt
gets linked to Sourcefile.txt with an absolute target path.
gets linked to DestinationDirectory with an absolute target path.
ln --absolute --symbolic SourceDirectory DestinationDirectory\
In the above example a symbolic link directory DestinationDirectory\SourceDirectory
gets linked to SourceDirectory with an absolute target path.
A traling backslash is the trigger for this to work.
The solution is to broaden the scope for ln.exe to decide if it is an outer or inner junction by supplying
additional anchor path to the copy process.
when it encounters complex situations. Think of an outer junctions/symbolic links,
is an inner junction with respect to Outer Junction/Symlink Target, the junction/symlink
an inner junction/symbolic link with respect to Outer Junction/Symlink Target
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Last Updated March 31, 2020 Version 2.9.2.8
March 31, 2020
Version 2.9.2.8
Fixed a race condition, when ln was called without --progress. Introduced in 2.9.2.6

Last Updated March 22, 2020 Version 2.9.2.6
March 22, 2020
Version 2.9.2.6
--progress also shows days if expected duration is bigger than 24hours

Last Updated January 11, 2020 Version 2.9.2.5
Copy ln.exe to some directory referenced by your PATH environment variable. %systemroot% is a good place.
ChocolateyInstallation
ln.exe can also be installed via chocolatey by issuing
choco install ln
from a command prompt. Make sure you have chocolatey installed.
Wildcard expression shall not span more than one directory level: e.g. *fotos\\temp* will not succeed.
*fotos*
the wildcard expressions are translated into a regular expression. This means that e.g *ub?older*
is also a valid wildcard expression for --includedir.
Wildcard expression shall not span more than one directory level: e.g. *fotos\\temp* will not succeed
*fotos*
Items
-
January 11, 2020
Version 2.9.2.5
The --progress calculation ran into overshoots, showing e.g. 177%.
ln.exe now maintains its chocolatey package.
ln.exe is public on gitlab.
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Last Updated October 28, 2019 Version 2.9.2.4
Privacy Statement
The privacy statement can be found here
Quick Start
Download
Documentation
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
History
Donations
Introduction
The NTFS filesystem supports a lot of features like Hardlinks, Junctions
Symbolic Links and Mount Points, which are sparsley supported by standard tools.
This tool is kind of a NTFS Swiss Army Knife and can do lots of things, like create SmartCopies, which
preserve the inner and outer Hardlink/Junction/SymbolicLink structure, does hardlink based incremental Backups
and a lot of other things which can not be found anywhere.
Installation
copy ln.exe to some directory referenced by your PATH environment variable. %systemroot% is a good place.
How to read
ln.exe is able to perform many powerfull things and thus has lots of command line options.
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--delete--deeppathdeletedelete verylong path
Since ln.exe can handle Deep Paths which are longer than 256 characters, there is also the
need to delete such paths or files. Furthermore this option stops by default on outer reparse point
boundaries if not issued by the --follow option.
ln --delete x:\DeepPath
Recursively delete all files and directories under x:\DeepPath until it reaches a reparse point boundary.
ln --delete x:\DeepPath\file
Delete a certain file.
The --delete option stops on reparse boundaries.
In the above example the command ln.exe --delete "Folder 1" was issued, but files and folders, which are
referenced by junction/symbolic links were not deleted
But the --follow option enables the --delete option to follow directories, which match wildcard expressions
In the above example the command ln.exe --follow "Outer*" --delete "Folder 1" was issued, thus files and folders, which are
referenced by junction/symbolic 'Outer* links were also deleted.
March 12, 2019
Version 2.8.7.4
One last WindowsXP version
The --follow option has been introduced to follow accross outer reparse boundaries during --delete.
Matching the first character of an wildcard expression with --exclude --include was not correct
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Last Updated February 15, 2019 Version 2.9.1.3
Datenschutzerklärung
restored properly in the destination even if they would be outer junctions/symbolic link.
new root e:\ all junctions pointing to c:\ are now outer junctions/symbolic link.
The files E and F are hardlinked together. In ln.exe terms they are called Saturated Hardlinks,
The Files A, C, D are hardlinked together. In ln.exe terms they are called Unsaturated Hardlinks,
The folder 'Outer Junction/Symlink' is targeted at the folder 'Outer Junction/Symlink Target'. In ln.exe
Symbolic Links to files behave as follows during Smart Copy:
--delete--deeppathdeletedelete verylong path
need to delete such paths or files. Furthermore this option stops by default on outer reparse point
boundaries if not issued by the --follow option.
ln --delete x:\DeepPath
Recursively delete all files and directories under x:\DeepPath until it reaches a reparse point boundary.
ln --delete x:\DeepPath\file
Delete a certain file.
The --delete option stops on reparse boundaries.
In the above example the command ln.exe --delete "Folder 1" was issued, but files and folders, which are
referenced by junction/symbolic links were not deleted
But the --follow option enables the --delete option to follow directories, which match wildcard expressions
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