Python | os.link() method

os.link() method in Python is used to create a hard link. This method creates a hard link pointing to the source named destination. In this article, we will see what is os link and the uses of os.link().

Note: This method is only available on Windows and Unix platforms.

os.link() Method Syntax in Python

Syntax: os.link(src, dst, *, src_dir_fd = None, dst_dir_fd = None, follow_symlinks = True)

Parameters:

1. src: A path-like object representing the file system path. This is the source file path for which the hard link will be created 
2. dst: A path-like object representing the file system path. This is the target file path where hard link will be created. A path-like object is a string or bytes object which represents a path. 
3. src_dir_fd (optional): A file descriptor referring to a directory.The default value of this parameter is None. If the specified src path is absolute then this parameter is ignored. If the specified src path is relative and src_dir_fd is not None then the specified src path is relative to the directory associated with src_dir_fd. 
4. dst_dir_fd (optional): A file descriptor referring to a directory. 
5. follow_symlinks (optional) : A Boolean value.

Return type: This method does not return any value.

OS Link Method in Python

Below are some examples by which we can understand about Python os link method:

Python OS Link Example

In this example, a hard link is created from the source file located at `/home/ihritik/file.txt` to a destination path `/home/ihritik/Desktop/file(link).txt`. After successfully creating the hard link, a confirmation message is printed.

Python3

import os

src = '/home/ihritik/file.txt'

# Destination file path
dst = '/home/ihritik/Desktop/file(link).txt'

os.link(src, dst)

print("Hard link created successfully")

Output

Hard link created successfully

Checking the Existence of a File Before Creating a Hard Link

In this example, the script checks if a specified source file exists. If it does, a hard link is created to it at a given path; otherwise, an appropriate message is displayed indicating the file’s absence.

Python3

import os

source_file = "path/to/source_file.txt"
hard_link_path = "path/to/hard_link.txt"

# Check if the source file exists before creating a hard link
if os.path.exists(source_file):
    os.link(source_file, hard_link_path)
    print(f"Hard link created from {source_file} to {hard_link_path}")
else:
    print(f"The source file {source_file} does not exist.")

Output

The source file path/to/source_file.txt does not exist.