Section 1: cp



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CP(1)                          FSF                          CP(1)


NAME

cp - copy files and directories

SYNOPSIS

cp [OPTION]... SOURCE DEST cp [OPTION]... SOURCE... DIRECTORY cp [OPTION]... --target-directory=DIRECTORY SOURCE...

DESCRIPTION

Copy SOURCE to DEST, or multiple SOURCE(s) to DIRECTORY. -a, --archive same as -dpR --backup[=CONTROL] make a backup of each existing destination file -b like --backup but does not accept an argument -d, --no-dereference preserve links -f, --force remove existing destinations, never prompt -i, --interactive prompt before overwrite -l, --link link files instead of copying -p, --preserve preserve file attributes if possible -P, --parents append source path to DIRECTORY -r copy recursively, non-directories as files WARNING: use -R instead when you might copy special files like FIFOs or /dev/zero --sparse=WHEN control creation of sparse files -R, --recursive copy directories recursively -s, --symbolic-link make symbolic links instead of copying -S, --suffix=SUFFIX override the usual backup suffix GNU fileutils 4.0l May 2000 1 CP(1) FSF CP(1) --target-directory=DIR move all SOURCE arguments into directory DIR -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 when- ever 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 SIM- PLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX. The version control method may be selected via the --backup option or through the VER- SION_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 other- wise simple, never always make simple backups As a special case, cp makes a backup of SOURCE when the force and backup options are given and SOURCE and DEST are the same name for an existing, regular file.

AUTHOR

Written by Torbjorn Granlund, David MacKenzie, and Jim Meyering. GNU fileutils 4.0l May 2000 2 CP(1) FSF CP(1) REPORTING BUGS Report bugs to .

COPYRIGHT

Copyright (C) 1999 Free Software Foundation, Inc. This is free software; see the source for copying condi- tions. There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. 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 cp should give you access to the complete manual. GNU fileutils 4.0l May 2000 3