# OS X - alias / symlink to radio stream help



## mark_uk (Jul 30, 2010)

Hi .. i come from a Linux background, where its easy to make a VLC symlink to some of my favourite 
radio streams, but after a few days of being a new OS X Snow Leopard user, all my attempts have
failed. in linux say, i can specify the app command and tweak the symlink / desktop icon's properties
such as

vlc http://somafm.com/dronezone.pls

and of course, this icon fires up vlc - playing the stream.
it seems OS X's ' Get Info ' doesn't allow for such uses.
several variations of this command in bash fail to work 
any advice please ?

Mark


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## mark_uk (Jul 30, 2010)

well its ok readers .. answer was to just create a .m3u file and add the url inside - and make sure VLC opened it.
works like a charm... easy !


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## Headrush (Feb 9, 2005)

Just to add a little info, linux desktop symlinks and aliases (including on OS X) are different things.

Aliases are true pointers to an object in the filesystem directory and symlinks are not.
(You can almost think of symlinks as small shell scripts)

The nice things about aliases is that if the original file is moved (within the same volume), the alias will still correctly point to the referenced object.


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## mark_uk (Jul 30, 2010)

Thanks Headrush .. Yes, its an interesting distinction isn't it, i thik the Alias is a very nice way of doing it,
though 12 years using Linux i thought i could just jump onto OS X and have it how i wanted in a few hours.

i was wrong LOL

Thanx mate,
Mark


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