nixCraft

Ashish Pathak · #1 (**permalink**) 12-29-2005, 01:46 PM

Hi All:

I am having small query regarding ls -l command.
Have a look at the following o/p

dr-xr-xr-x 181 root root 12288 Nov 23 18:39 a
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Dec 29 04:45 bin
drwxrwxr-x 4 94 141 3072 Dec 5 18:56 boot
drwxr-xr-x 10 root root 6460 Dec 28 16:06 dev
drwxr-xr-x 126 94 141 12288 Dec 29 12:14 etc
drwxr-xr-x 8 root root 4096 Nov 4 17:33 home
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Aug 12 2004 initrd
drwxrwxr-x 10 94 141 12288 Dec 28 12:22 lib
drwx------ 2 root root 16384 Mar 23 2005 lost+found
drwxr-xr-x 4 root root 4096 Dec 28 16:06 media
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Mar 24 2005 misc
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 0 Dec 28 16:06 mnt
drwxr-xr-x 10 root root 4096 Dec 27 11:30 opt
dr-xr-xr-x 151 root root 0 Dec 28 21:35 proc
drwxr-x--- 80 root root 12288 Dec 29 11:25 root
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 12288 Dec 29 04:52 sbin

I just wanted to know the meaning of "126" in drwxr-xr-x 126 94 141 12288 Dec 29 12:14 etc or meaning of "80" in drwxr-x--- 80 root root 12288 Dec 29 11:25 root

Thanks!
Ashish

monk · #2 (**permalink**) 12-29-2005, 07:25 PM

126 or 80 are number of links. The ls -l output format can be explain as follows for entry:

Code:

drwxr-xr-x  112 root root 8192 2005-12-29 19:16 /etc

file mode: drwxr-xr-x
number of links: 112
owner name: root
group name: root
number of bytes in the file: 8192
date (last modified): 2005-12-29
time (last modified): 19:16
filename/path: /etc

Hope this helps

Ashish Pathak · #3 (**permalink**) 12-30-2005, 11:21 AM

Well, I also thought those numbers are links, but now, I don't think that those numbers indicates links.

To test this I have crated directory at /

[root@SwiftLinux /]# mkdir ashish

[root@SwiftLinux /]# ls -l
total 204
dr-xr-xr-x 181 root root 12288 Nov 23 18:39 a
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Dec 30 11:01 ashish
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Dec 30 04:02 bin
drwxrwxr-x 4 94 141 3072 Dec 30 10:57 boot

As per your comment ashish directory is having 2 links now..
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Dec 30 11:01 ashish

Now I changed my directory to /root and created one link for same directory
[root@SwiftLinux ~]# ln -s /ashish/ .
[root@SwiftLinux ~]# ls -l
total 142984
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Oct 25 18:10
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Dec 12 12:02 aaa
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 8 Dec 30 11:02 ashish -> /ashish/
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 78875256 Dec 29 20:06 attachment.part
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Jul 11 18:51 bbb

and again have a look at ls -l o/p at /
[root@SwiftLinux ~]# cd /
[root@SwiftLinux /]# ls -l
total 204
dr-xr-xr-x 181 root root 12288 Nov 23 18:39 a
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Dec 30 11:01 ashish

It is still showing 2, by considering those numbers are for links, it should have shown 3 but it showing 2.

ricc · #4 (**permalink**) 12-30-2005, 03:23 PM

I am not sure but I think the links in the ls -l o/p refer to the relative and absolute links with respect to the current directory and not a symbolic link or hardlink.

I think it is insane to have 126 symbolic links to a dir or file.

.

Lets compare. As per your example, if you have created ashih under /, and create another directory under ashish named test, the o/p od ls -l will show 3 for the dir ashish now. but test will show 2 links like below :

Code:

rc@quark:~/public_html> ls -la
total 6
drwxr-xr-x   3 quark users  104 2005-12-30 15:15 .
drwxr-xr-x  30 quark users 1912 2005-12-18 10:07 ..
-rw-r--r--   1 quark users   48 2005-07-18 15:23 .directory
drwxr-xr-x   3 quark users   72 2005-12-30 15:29 rc

rc@quark:~/public_html> ls -la
total 6
drwxr-xr-x   3 quark users  104 2005-12-30 15:15 .
drwxr-xr-x  30 quark users 1912 2005-12-18 10:07 ..
-rw-r--r--   1 quark users   48 2005-07-18 15:23 .directory
drwxr-xr-x   3 quark users   72 2005-12-30 15:29 rc

Elders....!!! Please correct me if I am wrong.

ricc

monk · #5 (**permalink**) 12-30-2005, 03:28 PM

Yes it indicates the number of links to file /ashish

Let us start with an example

Code:

cd /tmp
mkdir demo
ls -l

drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 2005-12-30 15:13 demo/

This is an empty directory still you see 2 links, how? Because all directories have at least 2 links. Every directory contains two subdirectories "." and ".." The first is a link to itself, and the second is a link to the parent directory. Thus, there are two links to the directory file "demo"

Now type command to make a subdirectory of one:

Code:

mkdir demo/one
ls -ld demo/

drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4096 2005-12-30 15:17 demo/

Now it is updated to 3. These subdirectories links which are automatically created for you, you cannot manually create links to directories.

Now create a soft link inside demo

Code:

cd demo
ln -s one one-soft
ls -l

drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 2005-12-30 15:21 one
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 3 2005-12-30 15:22 one-soft -> one

Now see demo directory:

Code:

cd ..
ls -ld demo/

drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4096 2005-12-30 15:22 demo/

It is still 3 why? Creation of a soft link to "one" (inside demo dir) doesn't update the link field of demo inode or directory.

Hope this helps.