Variant symlinks
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In computer programming, a variant symlink is a symlink that has a variable name embedded in it. This can allow some clever tricks to be performed that are not possible with a standard symlink. Variables embedded in the symlinks can include user and or environment specific information among other things.
Operating systems that make use of variant symlinks include Domain/OS and DragonFly BSD.
Here is an example from the DragonFly BSD mailing list archive:
- sysctl -w vfs.varsym_enable=1
- ln -s 'a${fubar}b' test
- cat > axxb << EOF
- HI!
- EOF
- varsym fubar=xx
- cat test