Name
cp
Synopsis
cp [options
]file1
file2
cp [options
]files directory
Copy file1 to file2, or copy one or more files to the same names under directory. If the destination is an existing file, the file is overwritten; if the destination is an existing directory, the file is copied into the directory (the directory is not overwritten).
Options
- -a, --archive
Preserve attributes of original files where possible. The same as -dpR.
- -b, --backup
Back up files that would otherwise be overwritten.
- -d, --no-dereference
Do not dereference symbolic links; preserve hard link relationships between source and copy.
- -f, --force
Remove existing files in the destination.
- -i, --interactive
Prompt before overwriting destination files.
- -l, --link
Make hard links, not copies, of nondirectories.
- -p, --preserve
Preserve all information, including owner, group, permissions, and timestamps.
- -P, --parents
Preserve intermediate directories in source. The last argument must be the name of an existing directory. For example, the command:
cp --parents jphekman/book/ch1 newdir
copies the file jphekman/book/ch1 to the file newdir/jphekman/book/ch1, creating intermediate directories as necessary.
- -r, -R, --recursive
Copy directories recursively.
- -S backup-suffix, --suffix= backup-suffix
Set suffix to be appended to backup files. This may also be set with the SIMPLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX environment variable. The default is ~. You need to explicitly include a period if you want one before the suffix (for example, specify ...
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