/var/spool/mail and /var/mail/root same inode but just one link count

Question

i found something on my linux systems i don't understand.

The files /var/spool/mail/root and /var/mail/root point to the same inode but the link count is 1. This is the same on a ubuntu and a centos server.

When i create hardlinks to a file the hardlink count increases with every new file.

Why is the link count just one?

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered May 25 '16 at 13:17

1

That is because /var/mail is a symbolic link to /var/spool/mail.

answered May 25 '16 at 13:17

Michael Vehrs

... and the link count would only count "hard links", not symoblic ones – Stefan Hegny May 25 '16 at 13:18

1 Answers1