---
name: "declone"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "hxtools"
version: "20231224-2+b2"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/declone"
---

# declone(1)

break hardlinks

## Name

declone — break hardlinks

## Syntax

**declone** *file*...

## Description

Breaks a hard link as created by [**ln**(1)](/ln/1.md) or [**hardlink**(1)](/hardlink/1.md). This program makes a copy of the file's contents, the ownership information and standard permissions. It does not copy ACLs or SELinux contexts.

## Example

```
$ ln GNUmakefile new1
$ ln GNUmakefile new2
$ ls -li GNUmakefile new1 new2
-rw-r--r--  3 jengelh users 2687 May 27 23:11 GNUmakefile
-rw-r--r--  3 jengelh users 2687 May 27 23:11 new1
-rw-r--r--  3 jengelh users 2687 May 27 23:11 new2
$ declone new2
* new2
$ ls -li GNUmakefile new1 new2
-rw-r--r--  2 jengelh users 2687 May 27 23:11 GNUmakefile
-rw-r--r--  2 jengelh users 2687 May 27 23:11 new1
-rw-r--r--  1 jengelh users 2687 May 28 09:10 new2
```

## See also

[**hxtools**(7)](/hxtools/7.md)