Windows 7 - Junction versus Symlinks

Asked By Poutnik

13-Jun-08 01:15 AM

Hi,

I am still little confused about NTFS junctions.

I know that symlink and symlinkd are special files
( mklink, mklink /D ) little related to shortcuts.
They are managed in filesystem level, being transparent to programs.

I know hardlink (mklink /H) is an alternate name a/o path file atribute,
given to the same file record in MFT.

But junction - is it de facto a hardlink to folder ?

Beside of scope of targetting, what is functional and usage difference
between junction and symlinkd ?

--
Poutnik

Different opinion either shows they are wrong,
either shows the other side of the truth, hidden to us.

13-Jun-08 11:50 AM

synapse@NOSPAMsyndrome.me.uk says...
thanks,
in fact all this info I already know.

But If I have OS capable to work with both,
and concerning local filesystems where both are usable,
is functionality of symlinkd and junction the same ?

--
--
Poutnik

Different opinion either shows they are wrong,
either shows the other side of the truth, hidden to us.

15-Jun-08 02:55 PM

Junctions can only point to local directories and acl inheritance
is not propagated across a junction.  AFAIK junctions in vista actually
*are* symlinks and not NTFS junctions.

15-Jun-08 02:55 PM

In article <MPG.22bcb5c268d1531098968e@127.0.0.1>,

No :-)

13-Jun-08 01:40 PM

In article <g2u9tp$3bc$1@reader2.panix.com>, wrat@panix.com says...
So junctions made by mklink /J differ from junctions
made by junction sysinternals utility ?

And if they are symlinks, why is implemented mklink / d for folder
symlinkd ?


--
--
Poutnik

Different opinion either shows they are wrong,
either shows the other side of the truth, hidden to us.

13-Jun-08 01:41 PM

Even if junction IS symlink ? ;-)
--
--
Poutnik

Different opinion either shows they are wrong,
either shows the other side of the truth, hidden to us.

15-Jun-08 02:55 PM

In article <MPG.22bccfaa18cd6dcc989690@127.0.0.1>,

Well, you can explictly create an actual junction.  MS just calls
the symlinks it uses to relocate common folders junctions.

15-Jun-08 02:55 PM

In article <MPG.22bccf692cb825df98968f@127.0.0.1>,

/D gives you a symlink, /J gives you a junction, and /H gives
you an actual hard link.  I havent' looked at junction.exe but since it
dates from the pre-vista days I suspect it creates actual junctions.

Here's the canonical description of mklink


http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/library/0ce4df22-2dbc-48fc-9c16-b721ae85f8571033.mspx?mfr=true

13-Jun-08 02:42 PM

In article <g2ucod$s8v$1@reader2.panix.com>, wrat@panix.com says...
I know all this well, I would not ask without prior basic research....
/D gives symlinkd, symlink is created as default.


--
Poutnik

Different opinion either shows they are wrong,
either shows the other side of the truth, hidden to us.

15-Jun-08 02:55 PM

In article <MPG.22bcddeff5258fc6989691@127.0.0.1>,

Ummm, ok, then why are you wasting our time?

13-Jun-08 04:18 PM

In article <g2ugpp$6ob$1@reader2.panix.com>, wrat@panix.com says...
Thank for your time.

Wasting your time would be,
if I would ask without prior searching,
or if you would answer by info I had already mentioned.

I am familiar with symlinks (file/folder) and hardlinks,
as noted before. I only did not know well,
what *exactly* folder junction is
( either by mklink /d or by junction utility )
and how differs from both symlinkD by mklink /D
and possible hardlink alternative to folder
( normal hardlink is only to files )


--
--
Poutnik

Different opinion either shows they are wrong,
either shows the other side of the truth, hidden to us.

15-Jun-08 02:55 PM

In article <MPG.22bcf47ee3bc9876989692@127.0.0.1>,

Make up your mind!

15-Jun-08 02:55 PM

Ummm, that happens with junctions too, move one to the recycle
bin and watch what happens.

Or a regular file.


That page appears to be talking about junctions.

15-Jun-08 02:55 PM

A) if you made the link with mklink on vista the default
is a real symlink

B) if you did not now empty the recycle bin.  Hope you did not
need that data!

13-Jun-08 11:15 PM

http://groups.google.co.uk/group/microsoft.public.windows.vista.general/browse_frm/thread/dda5063542799819/34488529c8749414?hl=en&lnk=st&q=#34488529c8749414

My posts are being deleted for some ridiculous reason by a mindless fascist
MS drone.

ss.

14-Jun-08 12:34 AM

synapse@NOSPAMsyndrome.me.uk says...

Thanks a lot.
Just tried - renaming or moving target folder
breaks link not only for symlinkd (mklink /d) as expected,
but for junction too.(mklink /j).
So definitely junction is not any kind of folder hardlink.

so does RD and DEL commnads, applied to both, seems to work same for
both.( DEL clears target content, RD removes link, keeping target )

--
Poutnik

Different opinion either shows they are wrong,
either shows the other side of the truth, hidden to us.

14-Jun-08 01:31 AM

Time for you to stop pretending like you have any education at all
because it is quite evident you are a fukkin idiot!
Frank

14-Jun-08 06:28 AM

Oh I see.  Repeating other people's words all the time is your way of
showing affection?  Getting bored of your daughter now?

ss.