vln

    vln [-i, -u, -s, -m, -a] {-e access-method-info, -n host hsoname, linkname } newname

vln adds a new link to a directory. oldname is an existing name for the object to which the link is to be made. newname is the name of the new link. The -u option indicates that the new link is to be a union link. The -s option is used to specify a symbolic link. The -i option is used to specify an invisible link which will not be displayed in a normal directory listing.

The -n option (short for native) requires the specification of the name of the host containing the target. The -n option indicates that the native information for the target has been specified. host is the name of the host on which the target resides and oldname is the name of the target on that host. If the -s option has also been specified, then host is the name of the virtual system to which oldname is relative.

The -e access-method-info (external) option indicates that the object resides on a host that does not run Prospero. There are are number of possible values for the access-method-info:

GOPHER host(port) gopher-selector {BINARY or TEXT}

This access method indicates that the object can be retrieved by sending the selector string gopher-selector to a server running at port port on host host. You must specify whether you want the object to be retrieved using the Gopher binary or text retrieval methods.

TELNET host[(optional-port)] introductory-message

If you do not provide a port inside parentheses, then the default telnet port will be used. The introductory-message will be displayed before the user connects to the service. For example:

Type LAX at the prompt in order to get the current Los Angeles weather forecast; type X to quit.

AFTP host path {BINARY or TEXT}

This access method specifies that the object can be retrieved via anonymous FTP, using either the binary or text retrieval methods.

AFS afs-path

This access method specifies that the object is available through the Andrew File System. Its name via AFS is afs-path. You should not precede the afs-path with /nfs/afs, /afs, or whatever the prefix is that your local system prepends to AFS names.

#-of-access-method-args method-name
host-type host hsoname-type hsoname any additional args

This type is used to provide an explicit value for the ACCESS-METHOD attribute. See appendix A of the Prospero protocol specification for a discussion of the format of this attribute.

Note that some of the host names specified in these access methods may include a port number inside parentheses. You will probably have to quote the port number so that whatever shell you use does not interpret it in a way you don't expect.

• Some examples of making links
• Specialized capabilities for Closure