Table of Contents
cp - copy files and directories
cp [OPTION]... [-T] SOURCE DEST
cp [OPTION]... SOURCE... DIRECTORY
cp [OPTION]... -t DIRECTORY SOURCE...
Copy SOURCE to DEST, or multiple
SOURCE(s) to DIRECTORY.
Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory
for short options too.
- -a, --archive
- same as -dpR
- --backup[=CONTROL]
- make a backup
of each existing destination file
- -b
- like --backup but does not accept an
argument
- --copy-contents
- copy contents of special files when recursive
- -d
- same
as --no-dereference --preserve=link
- --no-dereference
- never follow symbolic links
- -f, --force
- if an existing destination file cannot be opened, remove it and
try again
- -i, --interactive
- prompt before overwrite
- -H
- follow command-line symbolic
links
- -l, --link
- link files instead of copying
- -L, --dereference
- always follow
symbolic links
- -p
- same as --preserve=mode,ownership,timestamps
- --preserve[=ATTR_LIST]
- preserve the specified attributes (default: mode,ownership,timestamps),
if possible additional attributes: links, all
- --no-preserve=ATTR_LIST
- don’t
preserve the specified attributes
- --parents
- append source path to DIRECTORY
- -P
- same as ‘--no-dereference’
- -R, -r, --recursive
- copy directories recursively
- --remove-destination
- remove each existing destination file before attempting to open it (contrast
with --force)
- --reply={yes,no,query}
- specify how to handle the prompt about
an existing destination file
- --sparse=WHEN
- control creation of sparse files
- --strip-trailing-slashes remove any trailing slashes from each SOURCE
- argument
- -s, --symbolic-link
- make symbolic links instead of copying
- -S, --suffix=SUFFIX
- override the usual backup suffix
- -t, --target-directory=DIRECTORY
- copy all
SOURCE arguments into DIRECTORY
- -T, --no-target-directory
- treat DEST as a normal
file
- -u, --update
- copy only when the SOURCE file is newer than the destination
file or when the destination file is missing
- -v, --verbose
- explain what is
being done
- -x, --one-file-system
- stay on this file system
- --help
- display this
help and exit
- --version
- output version information and exit
By default, sparse
SOURCE files are detected by a crude heuristic and the corresponding DEST
file is made sparse as well. That is the behavior selected by --sparse=auto.
Specify --sparse=always to create a sparse DEST file whenever the SOURCE
file contains a long enough sequence of zero bytes. Use --sparse=never to
inhibit creation of sparse files.
The backup suffix is ‘~’, unless set with
--suffix or SIMPLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX. The version control method may be selected
via the --backup option or through the VERSION_CONTROL environment variable.
Here are the values:
- none, off
- never make backups (even if --backup is given)
- numbered, t
- make numbered backups
- existing, nil
- numbered if numbered backups
exist, simple otherwise
- simple, never
- always make simple backups
As a special
case, cp makes a backup of SOURCE when the force and backup options are
given and SOURCE and DEST are the same name for an existing, regular file.
Written by Torbjorn Granlund, David MacKenzie, and Jim Meyering.
Report bugs to <bug-coreutils@gnu.org>.
Copyright © 2004 Free Software
Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions. There is
NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
The full documentation for cp is maintained as a Texinfo manual.
If the info and cp programs are properly installed at your site, the command
- info cp
should give you access to the complete manual.
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