Chapter 7. Symbolic Links

7.1. Shortform Symbolic Links
7.2. Extent Symbolic Links

Symbolic links to a file can be stored in one of two formats: "local" and "extents". The length of the symlink contents is always specified by the inode's di_size value.

7.1. Shortform Symbolic Links

Symbolic links are stored with the "local" di_format if the symbolic link can fit within the inode's data fork. The link data is an array of characters (di_symlink array in the data fork union).

xfs_db Example:

A short symbolic link to a file is created:

xfs_db> inode <inode#>
xfs_db> p
core.magic = 0x494e
core.mode = 0120777
core.version = 1
core.format = 1 (local)
...
core.size = 12
core.nblocks = 0
core.extsize = 0
core.nextents = 0
...
u.symlink = "small_target"

Raw on-disk data with the link contents highlighted: