[X-Unix] Links to Directories

[James Bucanek]

SeaSoft Systems wrote on Thursday, May 27, 2004:
>However, the simulation won't follow these directory links either 
>(just as it would not follow a finder alias); it just refuses to see 
>the scenery files unless I physically copy the entire directory/file 
>hierarchy into the designated place.
>
>Can anyone offer other suggestions and/or explain why aliases and 
>these symbolic links don't fool the simulation into using the 
>out-of-place scenery files?

I have no idea why any software wouldn't follow symbolic links.  Unlike aliases, programs have to actually *work* at telling the difference between a directory and a symbolic link.

However, you still have an option:  Hard links.  You can only hard link files, but it's possible to create a real directory, then use 'ln source_dir/* target_dir' to create a hard link to every file in the source_dir directory.  Unfortunately, if you change the number or names of files in the source directory you'll have to refresh the links in target_dir again to match.  Brute force, you'd just 'rm target_dir/*' then make a fresh set of links again.

There is *no* way a program can misinterpret a hard link.  ;)

______________________________________________________
James Bucanek       <mailto:privatereply at gloaming.com>