Copy file from 'root' to 'user' gives a broken link

xendyex

8/11/24, 3:22 PM

So. I'd like to copy one of my Java folders to my user to then copy to somewhere else (don't ask why). However, whenever I do it, even with sudo, I get a 'Broken Link' that does nothing. I've tried these things: Using terminal normally. Using nautilus normally. Using sudo and terminal. Using sudo and nautilus.

But every single time I try, it just makes me a broken link. See here: or... (white app is sudo, dark is not) This is probably a stupid question, but... any help? Thanks. I'm using 23.04

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   21 Jul 20 10:09 java-1.17.0-openjdk-amd64 -> java-17-openjdk-amd64
drwxr-xr-x 7 root root 4096 Aug  3 11:54 java-17-openjdk-amd64
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   20 Jul 24 21:17 java-1.8.0-openjdk-amd64 -> java-8-openjdk-amd64
drwxr-xr-x 5 root root 4096 Aug  5 18:01 java-8-openjdk-amd64

I'm trying to replace a Java version for Minecraft.

1 + 2

nautilus

23.04

ubfan1

8/11/24, 3:29 PM

Did you ever try adding the -r (recusion) to the copy as the error message notes?

Bodo

8/11/24, 3:36 PM

Please [edit] your question and explain what you want to achieve with this copying. Copy&paste the output of `ls -l /usr/lib/jvm` to your question *as text*. The file you are copying is probably a symbolic link to a subdirectory next to it, and if you copy only the link, then the copied link will be broken. [Please do not upload images of code/data/errors.](//meta.stackoverflow.com/q/285551)

Score:0

Ubuntu

raj

8/11/24, 10:10 PM

As the output of ls -l indicates, java-1.8.0-openjdk-amd64 is not a real subdirectory, but a symbolic link to subdirectory java-8-openjdk-amd64 located in the same directory (/usr/lib/jvm in this case). Which is btw. also indicated by the arrow sign next to the folder icon in Nautilus - the arrow sign indicates it's a link.

So if you copy that link to another location, and don't copy the corresponding subdirectory java-8-openjdk-amd64 to the same location as well, the copied link will be broken, as the object it points to does not exist.

This happens because the link points to a relative name, which is resolved using the same base directory as the directory that contains the link. If the link would point to an absolute name like /usr/lib/jvm/java-8-openjdk-amd64 instead of just java-8-openjdk-amd64, it could be copied to any location without becoming broken.

You can create such link yourself, without the need to copy the original one. Go to your target directory:

cd /home/xendyex/Desktop/files/myjavastuff

and type the command:

ln -s /usr/lib/jvm/java-8-openjdk-amd64 java-1.8.0-openjdk-amd64

You have created a link java-1.8.0-openjdk-amd64 in your directory /home/xendyex/Desktop/files/myjavastuff that points to /usr/lib/jvm/java-8-openjdk-amd64.

But note this does not copy the original Java folder (if this is what you wanted to do), it only creates a link to it in another location. If you want to make an actual copy, you need to copy the actual subdirectory java-8-openjdk-amd64 and not the link.

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