eedit.sh

#!/bin/bash
set -e

if [ -z "$1" ]; then
  echo "Usage: $0 <path>"
  exit 1
fi

SYMLINK="$1"

TARGET=""
TEMP_DIR=""
BASENAME=""
PARENT_DIR=""
SYMLINK_REMOVED=false

cleanup() {
  if [ "$SYMLINK_REMOVED" = true ]; then
    if [ -e "$PARENT_DIR/$BASENAME" ]; then
      rm -rf "$PARENT_DIR/$BASENAME"
    fi
    if [ ! -L "$SYMLINK" ]; then
      ln -s "$TARGET" "$SYMLINK"
    fi
  fi

  if [ -d "$TEMP_DIR" ]; then
    rm -rf "$TEMP_DIR"
    echo "Removed temporary directory."
  fi
}

trap cleanup EXIT INT TERM

if [ ! -L "$SYMLINK" ]; then
  echo "Error: '$SYMLINK' is not a symbolic link."
  exit 1
fi

TARGET=$(readlink -f "$SYMLINK")
TEMP_DIR=$(mktemp -d)
BASENAME=$(basename "$TARGET")
PARENT_DIR=$(dirname "$SYMLINK")

cp -a "$TARGET" "$TEMP_DIR/"

unlink "$SYMLINK"
SYMLINK_REMOVED=true

cp -a "$TEMP_DIR/$BASENAME" "$PARENT_DIR/"

echo "------------------------------------------------------------------"
echo "You are in a temporary shell. $SYMLINK is an ephemeral copy of its original target."
echo "Type 'exit' to close this shell and restore the original symlink."
echo "------------------------------------------------------------------"

bash