Syntax
- cp [options] source destination
Parameters
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
-a,-archive | Combines the d, p and r options |
-b, -backup | Before removal, makes a backup |
-d, --no-deference | Preserves links |
-f, --force | Remove existing destinations without prompting user |
-i, --interactive | Show prompt before overwriting |
-l, --link | Instead of copying, link files instead |
-p, --preserve | Preserve file attributes when possible |
-R, --recursive | Recursively copy directories |
Copy a single file
Copy foo.txt from /path/to/source/ to /path/to/target/folder/
cp /path/to/source/foo.txt /path/to/target/folder/
Copy foo.txt from /path/to/source/ to /path/to/target/folder/ into a file called bar.txt
cp /path/to/source/foo.txt /path/to/target/folder/bar.txt
Copy folders
copy folder foo into folder bar
cp -r /path/to/foo /path/to/bar
if folder bar exists before issuing the command, then foo and its content will be copied into the folder bar.
However, if bar does not exist before issuing the command, then the folder bar will be created and the content of foo will be placed into bar
