cp(1)                    USER COMMANDS                      cp(1)



NAME
     cp - copy files

SYNOPSIS
     cp [ -i ] [ -p ] [ -r ] file1 [ file2 ...] target

DESCRIPTION
     The cp command copies filen to target.  filen and target may
     not  have  the  same  name.   (Care must be taken when using
     sh(1) metacharacters.)  If target is not a  directory,  only
     one  file  may be specified before it; if it is a directory,
     more than one file may be specified.   If  target  does  not
     exist, cp creates a file named target.  If target exists and
     is not a directory, its contents are overwritten.  If target
     is a directory, the file(s) are copied to that directory.

     The following options are recognized:

     -i   cp will prompt for confirmation whenever the copy would
          overwrite  an  existing  target.  A y answer means that
          the copy should proceed. Any other answer  prevents  cp
          from overwriting target.

     -p   cp will duplicate not only the contents of  filen,  but
          also  preserves  the  modification  time and permission
          modes.

     -r   If filen is a directory, cp will copy the directory and
          all  its  files, including any subdirectories and their
          files; target must be a directory.

     If filen is a directory, target must be a directory  in  the
     same  physical file system.  target and filen do not have to
     share the same parent directory.

     If filen is a file and target is a link to another file with
     links, the other links remain and target becomes a new file.

     If target does not exist, cp creates a new file named target
     which  has the same mode as filen except that the sticky bit
     is not set unless the user is a privileged user;  the  owner
     and group of target are those of the user.

     If target is a file, its contents are overwritten,  but  the
     mode,  owner,  and group associated with it are not changed.
     The last modification time of target  and  the  last  access
     time of filen are set to the time the copy was made.

     If target is a directory, then for each file  named,  a  new
     file  with the same mode is created in the target directory;
     the owner and the group are those of  the  user  making  the
     copy.



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cp(1)                    USER COMMANDS                      cp(1)



NOTES
     A -- permits the user to mark the end of  any  command  line
     options  explicitly,  thus allowing cp to recognize filename
     arguments that begin with a -.  If a -- and a - both  appear
     on  the same command line, the second will be interpreted as
     a filename.

SEE ALSO
     chmod(1), cpio(1), rm(1).














































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