zmk.Symlink(5)

NAME
Symlink - template for creating symbolic links

SYNOPSIS

    include z.mk
    # "link" is any valid identifier.
    link.SymlinkTarget = target
    $(eval $(call ZMK.Expand,Symlink,link))

DESCRIPTION
The template Symlink once expanded with a link name to creates rules for creating, removing, installing and removing a single symbolic link to a given target file.

This template behaves like the Program template, in that it creates the symbolic link both locally, during development as well as when the project is installed.

TARGETS
This module provides the following targets.

  $(link)
This target represents the symbolic link

  all
This phony target depends on $(link)

  clean
This phony target removes $(link)

  install
This target creates the symbolic link $(link) in $(link.InstallDir), with the name $(link.InstallName) The target directory is automatically created if required.

  uninstall
This phony target removes $(link) as installed by the install target.

VARIABLES
This module provides the following variables.

  $(link).SymlinkTarget
The target of the symbolic link.

There is no default value. This variable must be set before expanding the template.

  $(programName).InstallDir
The directory $(link) is installed to.

There is no default value. This variable must be set before expanding the template. To avoid installation set the install directory to the special value noinst.

  $(link).InstallName
The name of the program after installation.

The default value is $(link) with the directory part removed.

  DESTDIR
Path added to all installation targets.

This variable is normally set externally, to install a compiled program into a staging area during construction of a compiled binary package.

BUGS
Prior to version 0.5.1, the install target misbehaved when $(link) contains a non-empty directory prefix. Incorrectly, the same prefix is replicated, somewhat confusingly in the installed symlink.

Consider this example:

    include z.mk
    subdir/link.SymlinkTarget = target
    subdir/link.InstallDir = $(bindir)
    $(eval $(call ZMK.Expand,Symlink,subdir/link))

Running make install on the following example would create the symbolic link $(bindir)/subdir/link -> target, which was unexpected.

This bug was given the identifier zmk-issue-80.

HISTORY
The Symlink template first appeared in zmk 0.1

AUTHORS
Zygmunt Krynicki <me@zygoon.pl>