Failed to create symbolic link, what should I do?

Question

When I enter the following command on a terminal session.

$ sudo ln -s /opt/utorrent-server-v3_0/utserver /usr/bin/utserver

It shows me the following message

ln: failed to create symbolic link ‘/usr/bin/utserver’: File exists

sudo ln -s /opt/utorrent-server-v3_0/utserver /usr/bin/utserver failed to create the symbolic link.

What should I do?

You could also just use the -f option of ln to force overwriting existing files: sudo ln -sf /opt/utorrent-server-v3_0/utserver /usr/bin/utserver — Byte Commander, Dec 01 '15 at 18:24

Tung Tran · Answer 1 · 2015-12-01T15:59:20.310

22

You should check if the symbolic link /usr/bin/utserver exists. If it does, you could unlink it:

sudo unlink /usr/bin/utserver

then redo the ln command

sudo ln -s /opt/utorrent-server-v3_0/utserver /usr/bin/utserver

Cheers,

edited Dec 01 '15 at 15:59

answered Dec 01 '15 at 15:46

Tung Tran

3,945

it say cannot unlink permission denied – moooooooiiiiiiiiiiiiii Dec 01 '15 at 15:47
Use sudo unlink /usr/bin/utserver – Gayan Weerakutti Dec 01 '15 at 15:49
no such file or directory – moooooooiiiiiiiiiiiiii Dec 01 '15 at 15:51
Could you use ls -l /usr/bin | grep utserver and give the output? – Tung Tran Dec 01 '15 at 16:02
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 40 Dec 1 17:11 utserver -> /opt/utorrent-server-alpha-v3_3/utserver lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 36 Dec 1 17:15 utservercd -> /opt/utorrent-server-v3_0/utservercd – moooooooiiiiiiiiiiiiii Dec 01 '15 at 16:31
so apparently /usr/bin/utserver is pointing to the correct target /opt/utorrent-server-alpha-v3_3/utserver. Your symbolic link creation worked. – Tung Tran Dec 01 '15 at 16:35
utserver -settingspath /opt/utorrent-server-alpha-v3_3/ bash: /usr/bin/utserver: cannot execute binary file: Exec format error – moooooooiiiiiiiiiiiiii Dec 01 '15 at 16:37
That means your symbolic link works but your download of utorrent-server-alpha-v3_3 might be corrupted. Try to re-download it. – Tung Tran Dec 01 '15 at 16:43
i have done still doesn't work,will you help me with the remote thing – moooooooiiiiiiiiiiiiii Dec 01 '15 at 16:50
I suppose you have the 64bit version which is not compatible with your 32bit kernel. You should download the 32bit version instead. – Tung Tran Dec 01 '15 at 17:11
You are welcome. Please up vote our answers too. – Tung Tran Dec 01 '15 at 17:14
It removed my original file :-( – alper Nov 05 '20 at 11:29
Sorry I do not get your point. You tried to unlink the existing symbolic link and it was removed? – Tung Tran Nov 05 '20 at 11:31

Gayan Weerakutti · Answer 2 · 2015-12-01T17:56:20.173

0

$ man ln

ln [OPTION]... TARGET

This creates a link to TARGET in the current directory.

sudo rm /usr/bin/utserver
cd /usr/bin/     
sudo ln -s /opt/utorrent-server-v3_0/utserver

Make sure the file /opt/utorrent-server-v3_0/utserver exists. If not use a valid path.

-- UPDATE

Given the information: The link /usr/bin/utserver points to the correct target /opt/utorrent-server-v3_0/utserver

So the symbolic link is already set. Any other errors you may have is nothing to do with ln part.

By the given uname -a you're using 32 bit OS. So you should download and install the 32 bit version of µTorrent Server.

edited Dec 01 '15 at 17:56

answered Dec 01 '15 at 15:44

Gayan Weerakutti

3,770
26
38

that won't work either – moooooooiiiiiiiiiiiiii Dec 01 '15 at 15:46
@mollllll Output of ls /opt – Gayan Weerakutti Dec 01 '15 at 16:05
what do i write then? – moooooooiiiiiiiiiiiiii Dec 01 '15 at 16:15
Paste the output of ls /opt /usr/bin here and give me the url. – Gayan Weerakutti Dec 01 '15 at 16:18
http://paste.ubuntu.com/13601621/ – moooooooiiiiiiiiiiiiii Dec 01 '15 at 16:30
Output of ls -l /usr/bin/utserver – Gayan Weerakutti Dec 01 '15 at 16:35
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 40 Dec 1 17:11 /usr/bin/utserver -> /opt/utorrent-server-alpha-v3_3/utserver – moooooooiiiiiiiiiiiiii Dec 01 '15 at 16:37
Output of ls /opt – Gayan Weerakutti Dec 01 '15 at 16:40
utorrent-server-alpha-v3_3 utorrent-server-v3_0 – moooooooiiiiiiiiiiiiii Dec 01 '15 at 16:40
@mollllll uname -a – Gayan Weerakutti Dec 01 '15 at 16:52
Linux best-W760T-M740T-M760T 3.13.0-55-generic #94-Ubuntu SMP Thu Jun 18 00:28:41 UTC 2015 i686 i686 i686 GNU/Linux – moooooooiiiiiiiiiiiiii Dec 01 '15 at 16:54
@mollllll Please see the updated answer – Gayan Weerakutti Dec 01 '15 at 17:04
@mollllll Please let us know what actually fixed your problem. And you can mark an answer as accepted ; ) – Gayan Weerakutti Dec 01 '15 at 17:22
okay it was deleting the file and then downloading the 32bit file,thankyou – moooooooiiiiiiiiiiiiii Dec 01 '15 at 17:45

score 0 · Answer 3 · edited Dec 04 '15 at 13:42

0

There is nothing to help, the target already exists. You could remove the target and after that create the symbolic link again:

sudo rm /usr/bin/utserver
sudo ln -s /opt/utorrent-server-v3_0/utserver /usr/bin/utserver

edited Dec 04 '15 at 13:42

Fabby

34,259

answered Dec 01 '15 at 16:41

A.B.

90,397

Failed to create symbolic link, what should I do?

3 Answers3

$ man ln