How to Create and Use Symbolic Links (aka Symlinks) on a Mac

On a Mac, you can create and use symbolic links, also known as symlinks, using the Terminal application. Symlinks are references to files or directories that act as shortcuts or aliases, allowing you to access them from different locations. Here’s how you can create and use symlinks:

1. Open Terminal: Launch the Terminal application on your Mac. You can find it in the Utilities folder within the Applications folder, or you can use Spotlight search to locate it.
2. Navigate to the directory where you want to create the symlink: Use the cd command to navigate to the directory where you want to create the symlink. For example, to navigate to the Documents directory, you can use the command:

3. Create a symlink: Use the ln command with the -s option to create a symbolic link. The basic syntax is:

Replace /path/to/original with the path to the original file or directory, and /path/to/symlink with the path and name you want to give to the symlink.

For example, to create a symlink called “shortcut” in the current directory that points to a file named “original.txt” located in the Documents directory, you can use the command:

4. Verify the symlink: You can use the ls -l command to list the contents of the directory and view the symlink. The symlink will have an arrow icon indicating that it is a link.
5. Use the symlink: You can now use the symlink to access the original file or directory. Any changes made to the original file or directory will be reflected in the symlink.

It’s important to note that when using symlinks, the original file or directory should remain in the same location for the symlink to work correctly. If you move or delete the original, the symlink will break.

Be cautious when creating symlinks and ensure that you understand the consequences of linking files or directories before proceeding.