Add possibility to create NTFS symbolic links

[Georgd]

Did you ever come aross the use case that a directory or file makes sense in two different locations in your file system structure? Example: You keep private and business apart, but one dir or file is required in both environments. Having the file twice is bad, because they will have different contents over the time, so you need two file system entries for one physical file.

Shortcuts? Bad This just creates a file that points to a file system entry. So e.g. if that is a directory, the shortcut will not also act as a directory but as a file (in sort order within files, dir content can't be listed etc).

symbolic links (like hard link but also for directories and like Junction Points also working across volumes and deleting deletes only the link not the actual data) are supported since Vista for NTFS, so it is wide spread. A symbolic link behaves exactly as the target being linked, so this is what you want and will potentinally use daily. Sadly, creating the symbolic links requires to be on command shell / console as an administrator so you can't create a symbolic link easily using right-click-drag&drop or the like. Commands are fsutil hardlink utility (Windows XP) and mklink (Vista and seven), e.g. in directory "business" call mklink /D SalamanderFiles ..\private\SalamanderFiles

As 3rd party tools like Link Shell Extension do not work within Salamander, thus I want a comfortable function build into salamander that allows to create symbolic link without a clumsy procedure (cmd line / windows explorer). What about you?

[therube]

Ages ago when I used UNIX (Xenix actually), links (ln), symbolic or otherwise were commonplace & used.

Earlier versions of Windows had no facility for such things.

Then with XP, you (I) think, oh so they've implemented some bastardized form of ln.
And with XP being MS, naturally it leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

Because of that, because rarely do you see it mentioned, discussed, used, it is just something that (for me) has gone by the wayside.

I suppose it must work. Properly even, perhaps.

Support for it. Oh, I guess it would be useful, if I could get over my MS phobia of it (& similarly rarely mentioned, discussed, used MS UNIXish utilities).

[pjj]

As 3rd party tools like Link Shell Extension do not work within Salamander, thus I want a comfortable function build into salamander that allows to create symbolic link without a clumsy procedure (cmd line / windows explorer). What about you?

I'm not sure what you mean by saying that Link Shell Extension doesn't work within Salamander: for me (XP SP3) it works flawlessly. I can use RMC to "Pick link source", I can use RMC to "Drop hardlink" or "Cancel link creation", AS shows icon overlays (Configuration -> Icon Overlays)... This is why I voted "need no support for them in Salamander", since from my point of view it already is supported. Sorry to rain on your parade.

[Ether]

I'd have to look into the specifics of the symbolic links, but I often use Junction Points (created using the Sysinternals Junction utility) to redirect various sensitive data from my profile directory to an encrypted volume.

[Georgd]

I'm not sure what you mean by saying that Link Shell Extension doesn't work within Salamander: for me (XP SP3) it works flawlessly. ... Sorry to rain on your parade.

No problem On my Win 7 64 bit, LSE does not work within Salamander; it does not appear at all in the context menu.

[Jan Patera]

No problem On my Win 7 64 bit, LSE does not work within Salamander; it does not appear at all in the context menu.

Aha! Did you install the 32bit or 64bit version of LSE? As AS is 32bit, it cannot access 64bit shell extensions...
To Altap: This is becoming FAQ. I think it should be clearly documented somewhere...

[-=Majkl=-]

No problem On my Win 7 64 bit, LSE does not work within Salamander; it does not appear at all in the context menu.

Aha! Did you install the 32bit or 64bit version of LSE? As AS is 32bit, it cannot access 64bit shell extensions...
To Altap: This is becoming FAQ. I think it should be clearly documented somewhere...

I was not able to install 32bit version on my 64bit system, so that I am not sure if this is possible elsewhere... This (32bit version) will not help then..

[Georgd]

Did you install the 32bit or 64bit version of LSE? As AS is 32bit, it cannot access 64bit shell extensions...

I was not able to install 32bit version on my 64bit system

Same here; 32bit installer quits with message "This version of LSE is not compatible with this platform. Please download the proper version from..." => Jans remark does not solve the issue even thought it shall be possible (see also http://forum.altap.cz/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3362 and others).

Still, I prefer a build-in way to create SymLinks in Salamander over ShellExtensions that may or may not work and also over UserMenu-entries calling mklink. To that part, I agree to http://forum.altap.cz/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=818 but I don't care much about hard links and junction points.

[Jan Rysavy]

I would vote "Yes, I need them really badly", but the poll is closed. It's no question to me. Altap Salamander is great especially for people knowing more about computers, and for developers too. We need links sometimes. And it reminds me the old, great FAR. It's similar style, fast, reliable, it just got to have this advanced stuff other simple file managers will always miss.

But back to the point. Is there any support for symbolic link? I just need to create one, I see it mentioned in release notes for AS 2.51 as supported, but don't see any command to create one...

Jan Rysavy: restored post

[pjj]

Since someone else may read this thread in order to learn how to use LSE with AS on 64bit Windows, here's some good news. On his page LSE author generously offers "a 32bit installer for 64bit, which can be used for 32bit only third party filemanagers like xy-explorer or total commander with 64bit OS". With this version it is possible to use LSE on Windows 7 and see hardlinks on AS, too.

To fully enjoy your hardlinks, you need to:
1) make sure that the necessary runtime .dlls are installed on your system (links are provided on the LSE webpage)
2) download and install 64bit version of LSE so you can view links in Windows Explorer
3) download and install 32bit installer for 64bit Windows (in Program Files (x86), of course)
4) change custom overlay icon with LSEConfig.exe (the one in Program Files (x86)!), since the one provided by the author doesn't play nicely with AS (it is multi-image ico file; I extracted 32px version and saved in a separate .ico file).

Voilà! Now AS shows icon overlays on Windows 7