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Subject: Re: `CYGWIN=winsymlinks:nativestrict`, `ln -s target link` fails if target doesn't exist
To: cygwin AT cygwin DOT com
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From: Peter Rosin <peda AT lysator DOT liu DOT se>
Message-ID: <5580e7fc-e227-d9d8-a186-b58c8b17cfa3@lysator.liu.se>
Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2016 14:02:58 +0200
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On 2016-04-29 13:34, Gene Pavlovsky wrote:
>>> POSIX says a symlink to a missing target is perfectly well-defined (you
>>> can't stat() through it, but you can readlink() it). But Windows native
>>> symlinks can't do that.  So the problems you are encountering all stem
>>> from the fact that you are trying to make Windows do something it can't.
>>
>> My initial reaction was that, too, but I tried mklink (CMD internal command)
>>
>>> mklink x y
>>
>> and it created the symlink in the empty directory just fine.
> 
> This is my point exactly. Windows dangling symlinks can be created as
> easily as in UNIX.
> At least this is the case on my Win7 x64.

No, it can't.

c:\>mklink a b
c:\>mkdir b
c:\>cd b
c:\b>cd ..
c:\>cd a
The directory name is invalid
c:\>rmdir b
c:\>echo hello > b
c:\>type a
hello

It only works for dangling links to files. Not good enough.

Cheers,
Peter

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