# Re: patch-2.7.3 no longer applies relative symbolic link patches

- From: Junio C Hamano \<hidden\>
- Date: 2015-01-29 06:34:08 
- List: git
- Page: https://ratatoskr.run/git/2015/01/4421024
- Thread: https://ratatoskr.run/git/2015/01/4421024/t.md

```text
Junio C Hamano [ref] writes:

> Subject: [PATCH] apply: refuse touching a file beyond symlink
>
> Because Git tracks symbolic links as symbolic links, a path that has
> a symbolic link in its leading part (e.g. path/to/dir being a
> symbolic link to somewhere else, be it inside or outside the working
> tree) can never appear in a patch that validly apply, unless the
> same patch first removes the symbolic link.

I should rephrase the above to make it more readable.

    ... its leading part (e.g. path/to/dir/file, where path/to/dir is a
    symbolic link to somewhere else, ...

is what I meant to say.
```