NAME
cp - copy files and directories
SYNOPSIS
cp [OPTION]... [-T] SOURCE DEST cp [OPTION]... SOURCE... DIRECTORY cp [OPTION]... -t DIRECTORY SOURCE...
DESCRIPTION
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 -dR --preserve=all | |
| --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=links |
| -f, --force | |
| if an existing destination file cannot be opened, remove it and try again (redundant if the -n option is used) | |
| -i, --interactive | |
| prompt before overwrite (overrides a previous -n option) | |
| -H | follow command-line symbolic links in SOURCE |
| -l, --link | link files instead of copying |
| -L, --dereference | |
| always follow symbolic links in SOURCE | |
| -n, --no-clobber | |
| do not overwrite an existing file (overrides a previous -i option) | |
| -P, --no-dereference | |
| never follow symbolic links in SOURCE | |
| -p | same as --preserve=mode,ownership,timestamps |
| --preserve[=ATTR_LIST] | |
| preserve the specified attributes (default: mode,ownership,timestamps), if possible additional attributes: context, links, xattr, all | |
| --no-preserve=ATTR_LIST | |
| don’t preserve the specified attributes | |
| --parents | |
| use full source file name under DIRECTORY | |
| -R, -r, --recursive | |
| copy directories recursively | |
| --remove-destination | |
| remove each existing destination file before attempting to open it (contrast with --force) | |
| --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 | |
AUTHOR
Written by Torbjorn Granlund, David MacKenzie, and Jim Meyering.
REPORTING BUGS
Report cp bugs to bug-coreutils@gnu.org GNU coreutils home page: <http://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/> General help using GNU software: <http://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>
COPYRIGHT
Copyright © 2009 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>. This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.
SEE ALSO
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 coreutils 'cp invocation' | |
