CP(1)                        BSD Reference Manual                        CP(1)

NAME
     cp - copy files

SYNOPSIS
     cp [-Rfhip] sourcefile targetfile
     cp [-Rfhip] sourcefile ... targetdirectory

DESCRIPTION
     In the first synopsis form, the cp utility copies the contents of the
     sourcefile to the targetfile. In the second synopsis form, the contents
     of each named sourcefile is copied to the destination targetdirectory.
     The names of the files themselves are not changed.  If cp detects an at-
     tempt to copy a file to itself, the copy will fail.

     The following options are available:

     -R    If sourcefile designates a directory, cp copies the directory and
           the entire subtree connected at that point.  This option also caus-
           es symbolic links to be copied, rather than indirected through, and
           for cp to create special files rather than copying them as normal
           files.  Created directories have the same mode as the corresponding
           source directory, unmodified by the process' umask.

     -f    For each existing destination pathname, remove it and create a new
           file, without prompting for confirmation regardless of its permis-
           sions.  (The -i option is ignored if the -f option is specified.)

     -h    Forces cp to follow symbolic links.  Provided for the -R option
           which does not follow symbolic links by default.

     -i    Causes cp to write a prompt to standard error before copying a file
           that would overwrite an existing file.  If the response from the
           standard input begins with the character `y', the file is copied if
           permissions allow the copy.

     -p    Causes cp to preserve in the copy as many of the modification time,
           access time, file mode, user ID, and group ID as allowed by permis-
           sions.

           If the user ID and group ID cannot be preserved, no error message
           is displayed and the exit value is not altered.

           If the source file has its set user ID bit on and the user ID can-
           not be preserved, the set user ID bit is not preserved in the
           copy's permissions.  If the source file has its set group ID bit on
           and the group ID cannot be preserved, the set group ID bit is not
           preserved in the copy's permissions.  If the source file has both
           the set user ID and set group ID bits on and either the user ID or
           group ID cannot be preserved, neither the set user ID or set group
           ID bits are preserved in the copy's permissions.

     For each destination file that already exists, its contents are overwrit-
     ten if permissions allow, but its mode, user ID, and group ID are un-
     changed.

     If the destination file does not exist, the mode of the source file is
     used as modified by the file mode creation mask (umask, see csh(1)).  If
     the source file has its set user ID bit on, that bit is removed unless
     both the source file and the destination file are owned by the same user.
     If the source file has its set group ID bit on, that bit is removed un-
     less both the source file and the destination file are in the same group
     and the user is a member of that group.  If both the set user ID and set
     group ID bits are set, all of the above conditions must be fulfilled or
     both bits are removed.

     Appropriate permissions are required for file creation or overwriting.

     Symbolic links are followed unless the -R option is specified, in which
     case the link itself is copied.

     Cp exits 0 on success, >0 if an error occurred.

SEE ALSO
     mv(1),  rcp(1),  umask(2)

HISTORY
     The cp command is expected to be IEEE Std1003.2 (``POSIX'') compatible.

4th Berkeley Distribution       March 26, 1993                               2