CkPython

Create a Symbolic Link on an SFTP Server

Demonstrates the Chilkat SFtp.SymLink method, which creates a symbolic link on the server. The first argument is the link target and the second is the new symbolic-link path.

Background: A symbolic link stores a path that points at another location, so it can span directories or filesystems and can even point at something that does not exist. A common use is a stable name like latest.log that is repointed at each day's file. Argument order is a frequent source of confusion — the target comes first, the new link path second — and note that how the target string is interpreted (relative to what) is up to the server's implementation.

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import sys
import chilkat

success = False

#  Demonstrates the SFtp.SymLink method, which creates a symbolic link on the server.  The 1st
#  argument is the link target and the 2nd is the new symbolic-link path.

sftp = chilkat.CkSFtp()

#  Connect, authenticate, and initialize the SFTP subsystem.
port = 22
success = sftp.Connect("sftp.example.com",port)
if (success == False):
    print(sftp.lastErrorText())
    sys.exit()

#  Normally you would not hard-code the password in source.  You should instead obtain it
#  from an interactive prompt, environment variable, or a secrets vault.
password = "mySshPassword"

success = sftp.AuthenticatePw("mySshLogin",password)
if (success == False):
    print(sftp.lastErrorText())
    sys.exit()

success = sftp.InitializeSftp()
if (success == False):
    print(sftp.lastErrorText())
    sys.exit()

#  Create a symbolic link "subdir/latest.log" that points at "subdir/2026-07-23.log".  The
#  server's SFTP implementation determines how the target path is interpreted.
success = sftp.SymLink("subdir/2026-07-23.log","subdir/latest.log")
if (success == False):
    print(sftp.lastErrorText())
    sys.exit()

print("Symbolic link created.")

sftp.Disconnect()