``How can I tell if a file is a hard link?''

Several people over the years have suggested that perhaps what this person was really asking is ``How can I tell whether there is more than one hard link to a file.'' If this person was really asking that, then my aggrieved response was out of line.

However, I was able to locate the original article, and looking at it again, I don't see how any interpretation is possible other than the one I came to. Here it is:

> Newsgroups: comp.unix.programmer
> Subject: hard links: how to tell with system call under BSD4.3?
> Date: 10 May 91 01:33:47 GMT
> 
> 
>   Is there any way, from a system call on BSD4.3, to determine if a
> file is a hard link?  I know lstat() will describe soft links, but
> none of my Unix books seem to say how one can figure out if a file is
> a hard link or not. Is this impossible? Please email me at
> xxxxxx@xxxx.xxxxx.xxx with any responses. Thanks in advance.

Your comments on this are welcome, of course.

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