When working with symbolic links in Linux, I've encountered a frustrating behavior where updates using absolute paths don't work as expected. The standard commands:

# Creation
ln -s /path/to/file-name link-name

# Update attempt
ln -sfn /path/to/file-name link-name

While creation and deletion work fine, the update command seems to create invalid symlinks. Let's examine why this happens and how to properly handle multi-level directory linking.

Given this directory structure:

~/scripts/test/
~/scripts/test/remote_loc/
~/scripts/test/remote_loc/site1/
~/scripts/test/remote_loc/site1/stuff1.txt
~/scripts/test/remote_loc/site2/
~/scripts/test/remote_loc/site2/stuff2.txt

When executing from ~/scripts/test/:

ln -s /remote_loc/site1 test_link

The symlink breaks because the path is interpreted as absolute from root. The correct approach would be:

ln -s remote_loc/site1 test_link

For reliable symlink creation and updates, consider these methods:

# Method 1: Relative paths from current directory
ln -sfn remote_loc/site2 test_link

# Method 2: Proper absolute paths
ln -sfn ~/scripts/test/remote_loc/site3 test_link

# Method 3: Using $(pwd) for absolute paths
ln -sfn "$(pwd)/remote_loc/site1" test_link

The -f flag should force an update, but there are caveats:

1. The target path must be accessible when creating the symlink
2. Relative paths are resolved relative to the symlink's location, not creation directory
3. The -n flag treats the destination as normal file if it's a symlink

Here's a script that handles symlink creation/updates safely:

#!/bin/bash

create_or_update_symlink() {
    local target=$1
    local link_name=$2
    
    # Remove existing symlink if it exists
    if [ -L "$link_name" ]; then
        rm "$link_name"
    fi
    
    # Create new symlink with proper path resolution
    ln -s "$(realpath "$target")" "$link_name"
}

# Usage example:
create_or_update_symlink "remote_loc/site1" "test_link"

Use these commands to diagnose issues:

# Check symlink target
readlink -f test_link

# Verify path existence
test -e "$(readlink -f test_link)" && echo "Valid" || echo "Broken"

# List directory with symlink indicators
ls -l

---

Many developers encounter issues when trying to update symbolic links in Linux, particularly when mixing absolute and relative paths. The common approach:

ln -sfn {/path/to/file-name} {link-name}

often fails to work as expected, leaving broken symlinks instead of properly updated references.

The problem typically occurs when:

• Using relative paths in symlink creation
• Trying to update across multiple directory levels
• Mixing absolute and relative path references

In your specific case with this directory structure:

~/scripts/test/
~/scripts/test/remote_loc/
~/scripts/test/remote_loc/site1/
~/scripts/test/remote_loc/site1/stuff1.txt
~/scripts/test/remote_loc/site2/
~/scripts/test/remote_loc/site2/stuff2.txt
~/scripts/test/remote_loc/site3/
~/scripts/test/remote_loc/site3/stuff3.txt

When creating symlinks from ~/scripts/test/, you have several options:

Absolute Path Approach

ln -s ~/scripts/test/remote_loc/site1 test_link

Correct Relative Path Approach

ln -s remote_loc/site1 test_link

The -f flag should force an update, but it's often better to:

rm test_link
ln -s remote_loc/site2 test_link

Or use this one-liner:

rm -f test_link && ln -s remote_loc/site2 test_link

To check symlink validity:

ls -l test_link
file test_link
readlink test_link

For complex directory structures, ensure your paths are either:

1. Consistently absolute from root
2. Properly relative to the symlink location

Example of correct multi-level linking:

ln -s ../remote_loc/site3 ../test_link_parent/test_link

• Prefer absolute paths for system-wide symlinks
• Use relative paths for project-local symlinks
• Always verify symlinks with readlink
• Consider using realpath to resolve paths before linking