files-community / files-community/Files
Feature: Full support for soft links/system links/junctions & hardlinks
- Dominant language
- C#
- Stars
- 45.4k
- Forks
- 2.9k
- Avg merge
- 19h 7m
- Merged PRs (30d)
- 62
Description
### What feature or improvement do you think would benefit Files?
Currently, Files can only create Windows Explorer Shortcuts/Links(.lnk files). These are nowhere near as useful as real softlinks & hardlinks.
Windows/NTDS supports both softlinks/symlinks/junctions & hardlinks: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/fileio/hard-links-and-junctions
Currently Files shows the little shortcut arrow overlaid onto the icons for files or folders which are Junctions, but the properties dialog doesn't know about junctions.
### Requirements
- Be able to + drag and drop a file or folder to create a softlink or a harlink
- Be able to New... to create a soft or hard link in a folder, pointing to a destination chosen by the user
- Be able to copy, rename & delete soft/hardlinks independently of the files/folders they point to
- The properties dialog will know about junction & reparse points and tell you:
- The type of link: softlink/hardlink/etc...
- The destination of the link
- Like: https://schinagl.priv.at/nt/hardlinkshellext/linkshellextension.html
### Files Version
Version: 2.3.11.0
### Windows Version
Windows 10: 10.0.19044.1889
### Comments
_No response_
Contributor guide
Research direction
Start by reviewing Files' existing Windows Explorer shortcut handling and the properties dialog, then consult the linked Microsoft documentation on hard links and junctions. The work is done when users can create, copy, rename, and delete soft links and hard links independently, and properties identify the link type, destination, junctions, and reparse points.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- csharp
- Domain
- desktop, operating-systems
- Issue type
- Feature
- Difficulty
- 5/5
- Estimated time
- Over a week
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 30/100