cp(1) cp(1)
NAME
cp - copy files
SYNOPSIS
cp [-f] [-i] [-p] [--] file copyfile Format 1
cp [-f] [-i] [-p] [-R|-r] [--] file ... directory Format 2
DESCRIPTION
cp makes a physical copy (duplicate) of one or more files.
There are two ways to copy with cp. The command can copy either:
- one file to another with a different name (Format 1), or
- one or more files to a different directory, with the copy retaining
the same basename as the corresponding original (Format 2).
OPTIONS
Format 1: Copy one file
cp [-f] [-i] [-p] [--] file copyfile
-f (forced) If copyfile already exists and a file descriptor cannot
be obtained (e.g. no write permission), cp deletes the file and
recreates it as a copy.
-i (interactive) If the named copyfile already exists, cp will ask
you to confirm whether this file may be overwritten. A y answer
means that the copy should proceed. Any other answer prevents cp
from overwriting copyfile.
If the standard input is not a terminal, this option is ignored
and no copying is done.
-p cp will also duplicate the following characteristics of file:
- Modification date and date of last access
- User and user group
- Access permissions
-- If file begins with a dash (-), the end of the command-line
options must be marked with --.
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When the Veritas File System (VxFS) is installed on the system, the
following additional option is available:
-e extentop
Specify how to process extent attribute information. This
option specifies the required persistence of extent attributes
when processing files which have preallocated space or fixed
extent sizes. Valid values for extentop are:
warn issue a warning message if extent attribute informa-
tion cannot be kept (the default behavior if this
option is not specified).
force fail the move if extent attribute information cannot
be kept.
ignore ignore extent attribute information.
file Name of the original file.
copyfile
Name of the copy file.
If copyfile does not yet exist, a new file is created.
Unless the -p option is used, the copy will have the access
permissions of the original, modified by the current file-
creation mode mask, and the user and group ID of the copy will
be those of the user who called cp. But the time of last modif-
ication of the copy will be set to the time the copy was made.
Caution:
If a file named copyfile already exists and the -i option is
not used, the existing file will be overwritten without confir-
mation, but its mode, owner, and group will be preserved.
If copyfile is a link to a file, all links will be retained.
The contents of copyfile will be overwritten with the contents
of file.
Format 2: Copy files to another directory
cp [-f] [-i] [-p] [-R|-r] [--] file ... directory
-f (f - forced). If file already exists in directory and a file
descriptor cannot be obtained (e.g. no write permission), cp
deletes the file and recreates it as a copy.
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-i (interactive) If the named file already exists, cp will ask you
to confirm whether this file may be overwritten. A y answer
means that the copy should proceed. Any other answer prevents
cp from overwriting copyfile.
-p cp will also duplicate the following characteristics of file:
- Modification date and date of the last access
- User and user group
- Access permissions
-R|-r (recursive) If file is a directory, cp will copy the directory
and all its files, including any subdirectories and their
files. Please note that -R or -r are not suitable for copying
pipes.
-- If file begins with a dash (-), the end of the command-line
options must be marked with --.
When the Veritas File System (VxFS) is installed on the system, the
following additional option is available:
-e extentop
Specify how to process extent attribute information. This
option specifies the required persistence of extent attributes
when processing files which have preallocated space or fixed
extent sizes. Valid values for extentop are:
warn issue a warning message if extent attribute informa-
tion cannot be kept (the default behavior if this
option is not specified).
force fail the move if extent attribute information cannot
be kept.
ignore ignore extent attribute information.
file Name of the original file. You can give a list of names and
thus copy several files at once. Each of the copies is assigned
the same basic filename (basename) as the corresponding origi-
nal.
Caution:
If there is a file in directory with the same basename as any
original, and the -i option has not been set, the existing file
will be overwritten without confirmation.
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directory
Name of the directory in which the copies are to be placed.
This must not be the directory in which the original files are
located.
Unless the -p option is set, the copies will have die access
permissions of the original, modified by the current file-
creation mode mask, and the user and group ID of the copies
will be those of the user who called cp. The time of last
modification of each copy will be set to the time the copy was
made.
ERROR MESSAGES
cp: cannot access file
The named file does not exist.
cp: cannot open file
You have no read permission for file.
cp: cannot create file
You do not have write permission for the directory in which file is to
be created, or the named directory does not exist.
cp: <dir> directory
dir is a directory and cannot be copied (Format 1), or you have not
set the -R|-r option (Format 2).
LOCALE
The LCMESSAGES environment variable governs the language in which
message texts are displayed. If LCMESSAGES is undefined or is defined
as the null string, it defaults to the value of LANG. If LANG is like-
wise undefined or null, the system acts as if it were not internation-
alized.
Answers to yes/no queries must be given in the language appropriate to
the current locale.
EXAMPLES
Example 1
The file techlit is to be copied before it is changed. The copy is to
be called tl and to be located in the same directory as techlit.
$ cp techlit tl
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Example 2
All files from the current directory with names beginning with file
are to be copied into the directory /home/do/save, and their times of
last modification are to be duplicated.
$ cp -p fil* /home/do/save
$ ls -l /home/do/save
total 4
-rw------ 1 dober gr1 37 Nov 11 11:11 file1
-rw------ 1 dober gr1 97 Apr 01 13:24 file2
-rw------ 1 dober gr1 116 Dec 31 12:13 file3
-rw------ 1 dober gr1 381 Feb 16 08:08 file4
SEE ALSO
chmod(1), cpio(1), ln(1), mv(1), pax(1), rm(1).
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