linux:/mnt/lfs # ln -s $lfs/tools /
ln: `//tools': cannot overwrite directory

I also tried this while working in a home, & the root, directory with the same results. man ln lists the -s switch as meaning symbolic. What else can I do?

I googled a bit of course, but don't really know what could cause this problem.

TIA
<<edit --> added below>>
Ok...ln -s /mnt/lfs/tools / creates a link to /mnt/lfs (the target), with / as the link name...so the host's compiler, et al can be used, right? I get the same damn error if I say
ln -s /mnt/lfs/tools /.
echo $lfs yields /mnt/lfs

" What else can I do? "

I am not sure why you want to do this but you might be able to get the effect that you want by using the chroot command.

___________________________________
Be prepared. Create a LifeBoat CD.
http://users.rcn.com/srstites/LifeBo...home.page.html

Steve Stites

thanks for the response but I'm "scared" to chroot since I'm not supposed to do that (per the book's instructions) until later + plus I know squat about chroot as of yet.
it accepts the command if I'm in the root directory of the installed system (suse), and leave off the / after
# ln -s mnt/lfs/tools

wouldn't such a command fulfill this statement?
the book says, "This symlink enables us to complie our toolchain so that it always refers to /tools, meaning that the compiler, assembler and linker will work both in this chapter (when we are still using some tools from the host) and in the next (when we are chrooted to the LFS partition)."

thanks again

The problem might be in how bash is interpreting the lfs variable. Try:
ln -s ${lfs}/tools /
and see what you get.

You also could do:
JERAMIAH="ln -s $lfs/tools /"
echo $JERAMIAH


------------------
Steve Stites

There is probably a /tools directory under / and you cant overwrite it with link. Try deleting /tools if there is nothing in it and try running your command again.

Sorry to revive an old thread, but this one just solved my problem