Windows Linux File Management Expanded guide File System

Windows `mklink` equivalent in Linux

Creates symbolic links (shortcuts) or hard links pointing to files or directories.

Reference maintained by Win-Linux.com · How mappings are evaluated

Windows mklink

→

Linux equivalents

Debian/Ubuntu same command

ln -s

Fedora same command

ln -s

Arch same command

ln -s

Overview

What this command does

On Windows, "mklink" is used to create symbolic and hard links. On Linux, the closest practical mapping shown here is "ln -s". Creates symbolic links (shortcuts) or hard links pointing to files or directories. This reference is grouped under File Management → File System.

Migration tip: A <strong>symbolic link</strong> (symlink) is like a Windows shortcut. A <strong>hard link</strong> is a second name for the same file data. Symlinks are far more commonly used and shown with <code>ls -la</code> using an arrow (->).

Windows → Linux context

What changes when you use this on Linux?

Equivalent task, different tool

Windows mklink maps to ln -s for this task. Treat this as a workflow mapping rather than a character-for-character syntax translation.

Portable across the compared distros

The Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch rows use the same command in this mapping. Package availability or defaults can still vary, so check the installed tool version when an option behaves differently.

Command-specific caution

Use absolute paths when creating symlinks to avoid broken links if the link is moved.

For the broader concept behind this mapping, read Linux filesystem for Windows users.

Practical tasks

Common use cases

Create symbolic and hard links

Creates symbolic links (shortcuts) or hard links pointing to files or directories.

ln -s target linkname

Create a symbolic link

ln target linkname

Create a hard link

ls -la

See links (shown with -> arrow)

Ready to run

Copyable Linux commands

Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.

ln -s /var/www/html ~/www

ln -s /etc/nginx/nginx.conf ~/nginx.conf

ls -la ~/www

Walkthrough

Examples with explanations

# Windows: mklink link.txt target.txt
ln -s /var/www/html ~/www         # symlink to a directory
ln -s /etc/nginx/nginx.conf ~/nginx.conf  # symlink to a file

# View what it points to:
ls -la ~/www
lrwxrwxrwx ... www -> /var/www/html

Reference

Common options and variations

Command or option	Use
`ln -s target linkname`	Create a symbolic link
`ln target linkname`	Create a hard link
`ls -la`	See links (shown with -> arrow)
`readlink -f linkname`	Show what a symlink points to
`unlink linkname`	Remove a symbolic link

Distro differences

Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch

Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch all use "ln -s" for this mapping. The command syntax shown here is portable across the three rows, although installed versions and system defaults can still vary.

Distribution	Package manager / base	Equivalent command	Difference to notice
Debian/Ubuntu	same command	`ln -s`	Same command on this distribution.
Fedora	same command	`ln -s`	Same command on this distribution.
Arch	same command	`ln -s`	Same command on this distribution.

Important

What to watch out for

Use absolute paths when creating symlinks to avoid broken links if the link is moved.

Keep learning

What this command does

What changes when you use this on Linux?

Equivalent task, different tool

Portable across the compared distros

Command-specific caution

Common use cases

Create symbolic and hard links

ln -s target linkname

ln target linkname

ls -la

Copyable Linux commands

Examples with explanations

Common options and variations

Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch

What to watch out for

Related File Management commands