What type of link creates an actual copy of a file rather than a pointer?

The correct response relates to the concept of a hard link, which directly creates an actual copy of a file in a filesystem. When a hard link is created, it points to the same inode as the original file, meaning that it refers to the original data on disk rather than just a reference to that data. This allows you to have multiple directory entries pointing to the same file content, and changes to the content of any link will reflect in all links since they share the same underlying data.

In contrast, a soft link, also known as a symbolic link, does not create an actual copy of the file but rather creates a reference to the original file's path in the filesystem. If the original file is deleted, the symbolic link becomes broken.

Understanding this distinction is crucial for file management in Linux, especially when dealing with file backups, version control, and file system structures. The concept of hard links is foundational in Linux filesystems, enabling more efficient use of storage and flexibility in file access.