How to memorize the order of parameters to `ln` command?

Question

I don't use ln command on daily basis, so when I need to create a link to a file, I always forget whether it's ln <target file> <link name>, or ln <link name> <target file>, so I have to take a quick glance at man ln.

As ln is commonly used in the process of software development, having the order firmly in memory would tremendously boost productivity.

Do you have any tricks (mnemonic?) for remembering the order of ln parameters?

I was finally able to learn it after I remembered that the last part of second argument is the one that you have to _make up_ - it does not exists before. Like this, when making non-version link to newest Netbeans version: `ln -s $HOME/install/netbeans/netbeans8.0.2 $HOME/install/netbeans/netbeans` — nuoritoveri, Dec 03 '14 at 17:00

score 35 · Answer 1 · answered May 07 '14 at 18:32

35

It takes arguments in the same order as cp and mv.

answered May 07 '14 at 18:32

amalloy

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`cp ` `mv ` `ln ` – d4nyll Jan 20 '18 at 15:14
1

I think of it as `cp `, `mv ` and `ln ` – unigeek Nov 11 '19 at 17:44
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I think the reason is better than is that the latter has the ambiguity that once the link exists, if it's a symbolic link, it takes you to the from. – jwrush Sep 29 '22 at 21:26

How to memorize the order of parameters to `ln` command?

1 Answers1