COPY(C) UNIX System V
Name
copy - copies groups of files
Syntax
copy [ option ] ... source ... dest
Description
The copy command copies the contents of directories to
another directory. It is possible to copy whole file
systems since directories are made when needed.
If files, directories, or special files do not exist at the
destination, then they are created with the same modes and
flags as the source. In addition, the super-user may set
the user and group ID. The owner and mode are not changed
if the destination file exists.
Note that there may be more than one source directory. If
so, the effect is the same as if the copy command had been
issued for each source directory with the same destination
directory for each copy.
Options do not have to be given as separate arguments, and
may appear in any order, even after the other arguments.
The options are:
-a Asks the user before attempting a copy. If the
response does not begin with a ``y'', then a copy is
not done. When used together with the -v option, it
overrides the verbose option so that messages
regarding the copy action are not displayed.
-l Uses links instead whenever they can be used.
Otherwise a copy is done. Note that links are never
done for special files or directories.
-n Requires the destination file to be new. If not,
then the copy command does not change the
destination file. The -n flag is meaningless for
directories. For special files a -n flag is assumed
(i.e., the destination of a special file must not
exist).
-o If set then every file copied has its owner and
group set to those of the source. If not set, then
the file's owner is the user who invoked the
program.
-m If set, then every file copied has its modification
time and access time set to that of the source. If
not set, then the modification time is set to the
time of the copy.
-r If set, then every directory is recursively examined
as it is encountered. If not set then any
directories that are found are ignored.
-ad Asks the user whether a -r flag applies when a
directory is discovered. If the answer does not
begin with a ``y'', then the directory is ignored.
-v Messages are printed that reveal what the program is
doing. If used with the -a option, the -a option is
given priority so that it overrides the verbose
option, and the copy action message is not
displayed.
Arguments to copy are:
source This may be a file, directory or special file. It
must exist. If it is not a directory, then the
results of the command are the same as for the cp
command.
dest The destination must be either a file or directory
name that is different from the source.
If the source and destination are anything but directories,
then copy acts just like a cp command. If both are
directories, then copy copies each file into the destination
directory according to the flags that have been set.
Examples
This command line verbosely copies all files in the current
directory to /tmp/food:
copy -v . /tmp/food
The next command line copies all files, except for those
that begin with a period (.), and copies the immediate
contents of any child directories:
copy * /tmp/logic
This command is the same as the previous one, except that it
recursively examines all subdirectories, and it sets group
and ownership permissions on the destination files to be the
same as the source files:
copy -ro * /tmp/logic
Notes
Special device files can be copied. When they are copied,
any data associated with the specified device is not copied.
(printed 8/28/89) COPY(C)