Variant Symlinks

In computer programming, a variant symlink is a symlink that has a variable name embedded in it. This can allow some clever tricks to be performed that are not possible with a standard symlink. Variables embedded in the symlinks can include user and or environment specific information among other things. Operating systems that make use of variant symlinks include Domain/OS and DragonFly BSD. Here is an example from the DragonFly BSD mailing list archive:
sysctl -w vfs.varsym_enable=1
ln -s 'a${fubar}b' test
cat > axxb << EOF
HI!
EOF
varsym fubar=xx
cat test

References

* http://leaf.dragonflybsd.org/mailarchive/kernel/2003-11/msg00159.html

 

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