CP Command

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

       -c                                      same as --preserve=context

       --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 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

       -Z, --context=CONTEXT    set security context of copy to CONTEXT --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.

       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, 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.