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Ubuntu 16.04 I have 2 instances of Nautilus (file explorer) open - in different drives and or folders.

I want to create a LINK to a file. It doesn't appear to be easily done - if I drag & drop the file it makes a copy. If I right-click the file the menu does have a 'Make Link', but it makes the link in the folder the file already is in (why would I want that?) - and I have to then drag the link to the place I want, which makes a copy of the link, and then I have to delete the link made in the place I don't want. Seems like very inefficient way. So, I'm probably missing something....?

RRelax
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6 Answers6

19

1. If your Mouse Has a Center Button

You just Center-Click and drag the file to where you want it to go, and when you release the center-button/wheel, a menu will pop up asking you if you want to Move, Copy, or Link the file.

Choose Link, of course.

2. If Your Mouse DOESN'T Have a Center Button

You Left-Click and drag the file to where you want it to go, but right before you release the left-button, hold down the Alt key, then release the left-button, and a menu will pop up asking you if you want to Move, Copy, or Link the file.

Choose Link, of course.

Here's a picture of what the menu looks like.

enter image description here

SunnyDaze
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6

Yet another way to make a link: press Ctrl+Shift while dragging some file/folder.

So:

  • Ctrl performs copy or move (that depends on location of source and destination: within the same partition object is moved, otherwise it is copied);
  • Ctrl+Shift makes a link;
  • Alt gives user a choice to select manually.

Also my cursor changes shape when I drag with Ctrl (shows "plus" sign) and with Ctrl+Shift (shows 2 linked rings). Dunno whether this happens with standard cursor theme.

whtyger
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1

After you click "Make link":

  1. Click the link and press Ctrl+X
    • or right-click the link and click "Cut"
  2. Move to the folder you want
  3. Press Ctrl+V
    • or right-click in blank space and click "Paste"
wjandrea
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0

And finally convert the link from absolute to relative by clicking Right-click-scripts-myscript (http://papou.epizy.com/notes/symbolic_link/)

Papou
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On my 21.04 this works:

  1. CTRL + SHIFT within Nautilus
  2. move the link created to the desktop

Directly making a link to the desktop does not work for me.

Christians
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https://github.com/tassaron/symlink-editor

My file-viewer does not have this option. And symlink-editor can not only add, but also edit symlinks.

enter image description here

JoKalliauer
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