1CP(1) User Commands CP(1)
2
6 cp - copy files and directories
7
9 cp [OPTION]... [-T] SOURCE DEST
10 cp [OPTION]... SOURCE... DIRECTORY
11 cp [OPTION]... -t DIRECTORY SOURCE...
12
14 Copy SOURCE to DEST, or multiple SOURCE(s) to DIRECTORY.
15 Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options
17 too.
18 -a, --archive
20 same as -dR --preserve=all
21 --attributes-only
23 don't copy the file data, just the attributes
24 --backup[=CONTROL]
26 make a backup of each existing destination file
27 -b like --backup but does not accept an argument
29 --copy-contents
31 copy contents of special files when recursive
32 -d same as --no-dereference --preserve=links
34 --debug
36 explain how a file is copied. Implies -v
37 -f, --force
39 if an existing destination file cannot be opened, remove it and
40 try again (this option is ignored when the -n option is also
41 used)
42 -i, --interactive
44 prompt before overwrite (overrides a previous -n option)
45 -H follow command-line symbolic links in SOURCE
47 -l, --link
49 hard link files instead of copying
50 -L, --dereference
52 always follow symbolic links in SOURCE
53 -n, --no-clobber
55 do not overwrite an existing file (overrides a -u or previous -i
56 option). See also --update
57 -P, --no-dereference
59 never follow symbolic links in SOURCE
60 -p same as --preserve=mode,ownership,timestamps
62 --preserve[=ATTR_LIST]
64 preserve the specified attributes
65 --no-preserve=ATTR_LIST
67 don't preserve the specified attributes
68 --parents
70 use full source file name under DIRECTORY
71 -R, -r, --recursive
73 copy directories recursively
74 --reflink[=WHEN]
76 control clone/CoW copies. See below
77 --remove-destination
79 remove each existing destination file before attempting to open
80 it (contrast with --force)
81 --sparse=WHEN
83 control creation of sparse files. See below
84 --strip-trailing-slashes
86 remove any trailing slashes from each SOURCE argument
87 -s, --symbolic-link
89 make symbolic links instead of copying
90 -S, --suffix=SUFFIX
92 override the usual backup suffix
93 -t, --target-directory=DIRECTORY
95 copy all SOURCE arguments into DIRECTORY
96 -T, --no-target-directory
98 treat DEST as a normal file
99 --update[=UPDATE]
101 control which existing files are updated; UP‐
102 DATE={all,none,older(default)}. See below
103 -u equivalent to --update[=older]
105 -v, --verbose
107 explain what is being done
108 -x, --one-file-system
110 stay on this file system
111 -Z set SELinux security context of destination file to default type
113 --context[=CTX]
115 like -Z, or if CTX is specified then set the SELinux or SMACK
116 security context to CTX
117 --help display this help and exit
119 --version
121 output version information and exit
122 ATTR_LIST is a comma-separated list of attributes. Attributes are
124 'mode' for permissions (including any ACL and xattr permissions), 'own‐
125 ership' for user and group, 'timestamps' for file timestamps, 'links'
126 for hard links, 'context' for security context, 'xattr' for extended
127 attributes, and 'all' for all attributes.
128 By default, sparse SOURCE files are detected by a crude heuristic and
130 the corresponding DEST file is made sparse as well. That is the behav‐
131 ior selected by --sparse=auto. Specify --sparse=always to create a
132 sparse DEST file whenever the SOURCE file contains a long enough se‐
133 quence of zero bytes. Use --sparse=never to inhibit creation of sparse
134 files.
135 UPDATE controls which existing files in the destination are replaced.
137 'all' is the default operation when an --update option is not speci‐
138 fied, and results in all existing files in the destination being re‐
139 placed. 'none' is similar to the --no-clobber option, in that no files
140 in the destination are replaced, but also skipped files do not induce a
141 failure. 'older' is the default operation when --update is specified,
142 and results in files being replaced if they're older than the corre‐
143 sponding source file.
144 When --reflink[=always] is specified, perform a lightweight copy, where
146 the data blocks are copied only when modified. If this is not possible
147 the copy fails, or if --reflink=auto is specified, fall back to a stan‐
148 dard copy. Use --reflink=never to ensure a standard copy is performed.
149 The backup suffix is '~', unless set with --suffix or SIM‐
151 PLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX. The version control method may be selected via the
152 --backup option or through the VERSION_CONTROL environment variable.
153 Here are the values:
154 none, off
156 never make backups (even if --backup is given)
157 numbered, t
159 make numbered backups
160 existing, nil
162 numbered if numbered backups exist, simple otherwise
163 simple, never
165 always make simple backups
166 As a special case, cp makes a backup of SOURCE when the force and
168 backup options are given and SOURCE and DEST are the same name for an
169 existing, regular file.
170
172 Written by Torbjorn Granlund, David MacKenzie, and Jim Meyering.
173
175 GNU coreutils online help: <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>
176 Report any translation bugs to <https://translationproject.org/team/>
177
179 Copyright © 2023 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU
180 GPL version 3 or later <https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
181 This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
182 There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.
183
185 Full documentation <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/cp>
186 or available locally via: info '(coreutils) cp invocation'
187GNU coreutils 9.3 September 2023 CP(1)