def METHOD_NAME(self, url, sym_name):
    print("url = {}".format(url))
    tmp_file = "localfile"
    # download [url]
    cmd = ["wget", "--tries=5", "--quiet", "-O", tmp_file, url]
    try:
        print("Downloading original link with wget")
        subprocess.check_call(cmd, stderr=subprocess.STDOUT)
    except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
        msg = ""
        if e and e.output:
            msg = e.output.strip()
        err_exit("Failed to download with wget: {cmd}\n{msg}\n".format(cmd=str(cmd), msg=msg))
    # calculate its md5 checksum
    digest = md5_checksum(tmp_file)
    os.remove(tmp_file)
    # create a symlink on the platform, with the correct checksum
    input_params = {
        'name' : sym_name,
        'project': self.proj_id,
        'drive': "drive-PUBLISHED",
        'md5sum': digest,
        'symlinkPath': {
            'object': url
        }
    }
    result = dxpy.api.file_new(input_params=input_params)
    return dxpy.DXFile(dxid = result["id"],
                       project = self.proj_id)