Manual Pages for UNIX Operating System command usage for man cp

User Commands                                               CP(1)



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



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User Commands                                               CP(1)



     --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

     --reflink[=WHEN]
          control clone/CoW copies. See below

     --remove-destination
          remove each existing destination file before attempting
          to open it (contrast with --force)

     --sparse=WHEN
          control creation of sparse files. See below

     --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 desti-
          nation 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




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User Commands                                               CP(1)



     --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.

     When --reflink[=always] is specified, perform a  lightweight
     copy,  where  the data blocks are copied only when modified.
     If this is not possible the copy fails, or if --reflink=auto
     is specified, fall back to a standard copy.

     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

     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.

REPORTING BUGS
     Report cp bugs to bug-coreutils@gnu.org
     GNU             coreutils             home             page:
     
     General        help        using        GNU        software:
     
     Report        cp         translation         bugs         to
     

COPYRIGHT
     Copyright cO 2010 Free  Software  Foundation,  Inc.   License



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User Commands                                               CP(1)



     GPLv3+:      GNU      GPL     version     3     or     later
     .
     This is free software: you are free to change and  redistri-
     bute  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

     should give you access to the complete manual.

ATTRIBUTES
     See attributes(5) for descriptions of the  following  attri-
     butes:

     ___________________________________________
    |   ATTRIBUTE TYPE   |    ATTRIBUTE VALUE  |
    |____________________|______________________|_
    | Availability       |  file/gnu-coreutils |
    |____________________|______________________|_
    | Interface Stability|  Uncommitted        |
    |____________________|_____________________|

NOTES
     Source    for    GNU    coreutils    is     available     on
     http://opensolaris.org.

























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