cp: can't create link 'b/a': No such file or directory

[Harald Becker]

Hi Timo !

>$ cp -af a a b

Did not analyze if there is a deeper error, but your initial
approach seems to be wrong.

cp FILE FILE DIR

shall copy both source files under there original names in given
directory. So how can you have two files of same name in one
directory. This will fail both on hard linking and physical
copying.

So what is your intention to do this?

--
Harald