What happens when you delete a hard link?

So, let's delve into the question: "What happens when you delete a hard link?" First off, it's important to understand the concept of a hard LINK in the context of file systems. A hard link is essentially a directory entry that points to an inode, which contains all the metadata about a file, including its name, size, type, and data blocks. When you create a hard link to a file, you're essentially creating another directory entry that points to the same inode. Now, let's address the question directly. When you delete a hard link, you're simply removing one of the directory entries that point to the inode. However, the inode itself and the data blocks associated with the file remain intact until all hard links to the inode are removed. In other words, deleting a hard link doesn't necessarily mean the file is deleted. The file will only be deleted (and its inode and data blocks will be freed up) when the last hard link to the inode is removed. So, in summary, deleting a hard link simply removes one of the directory entries pointing to the inode, but the file itself remains until all hard links are removed. Does that clarify things?