How do hard links and symbolic links differ?

A hard link is another directory entry referring to the same underlying inode on a filesystem. Removing one name does not remove the data while other links or open references remain. A symbolic link is a separate object containing a target path, which can refer across filesystems and can become dangling if the target disappears. Ordinary hard links cannot cross filesystem boundaries and are generally restricted for directories. Tools may follow or preserve symbolic links differently, so choose options carefully for backups and recursive operations.