What is Symlink?

A symbolic link (symlink) is a file that points to another file. In Magento 2 developer mode, symlinks are created inside the pub/static directory.

// Symlink locations in Magento 2 (Developer Mode)
pub/static/
pub/static/frontend/
pub/static/adminhtml/
    

Common issue faced by Developer when working with Knockout JS

// Common Issues:
1. JS/Knockout template changes not updating in frontend.
2. Developer must delete pub/static or run static content deploy every time.

// Checklist:
- Developer mode enabled?
- Is symlink generated in pub/static?
- Browser DevTools → Network → Check "Disable Cache"
    

A Detailed Discussion on Magento 2 Modes

Magento 2 introduced three main modes:

• Default Mode
• Developer Mode
• Production Mode

And one special mode:

• Maintenance Mode

Default Mode

// Default Mode Features:
- Errors hidden (logged in var/reports)
- Symlinks generated in pub/static
- Not optimized for production
    

Developer Mode

// Developer Mode Features:
- Shows uncaught errors on browser
- Better debugging + verbose logs
- Automatic code compilation
- Best for development
    

Production Mode

// Production Mode Features:
- Static files served ONLY from cache
- Errors never shown, only logged
- Highest performance for live store
    

Setting Magento Modes

php bin/magento deploy:mode:set {mode} [-s|--skip-compilation]

// Examples:
php bin/magento deploy:mode:set developer
php bin/magento deploy:mode:set production --skip-compilation
    

Clean Cache

php bin/magento cache:clean
    

See Current Mode

php bin/magento deploy:mode:show

// Example Output:
Current application mode: production