![1) Cp command syntax with example
The basic command structure of cp command is as follows:
Command: $ cp [options] source destination
Let’s look at some examples of using cp command to copy files and folders in Linux.
Command: $ ls
a.txt
Command: $ cp a.txt b.txt
Command: $ ls
a.txt b.txt
2) How to copy a file from current directory to subdirectory
To copy a file from the present working directory to a subdirectory use the syntax below:
Command: $ cp file directory
Example
For example, to copy a file file1.txt to a sub directory called data execute the cp command as
follows. Later use the ls command to verify the existence of the file in the directory.
Command: $ cp file1.txt data
Sample output](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/cpcommand-190620193841/85/Cp-command-in-Linux-2-320.jpg)
Cp command in Linux
- 1. CP COMMAND SYED SADATH ULLAH M.Tech; Linux – Administrator Topics Listed: 1) Cp command syntax with example 2) How to copy a file from current directory to subdirectory 3) How to copy a file from current directory to an absolute destination path 4) How to copy a file from absolute source path to an absolute path 5) How to copy multiple files 6) How to copy file with verbose output 7) How to copy files interactively 8) How to copy files associated with a certain file extension 9) How to copy Directory Recursively 10) Linux man cp
- 2. 1) Cp command syntax with example The basic command structure of cp command is as follows: Command: $ cp [options] source destination Let’s look at some examples of using cp command to copy files and folders in Linux. Command: $ ls a.txt Command: $ cp a.txt b.txt Command: $ ls a.txt b.txt 2) How to copy a file from current directory to subdirectory To copy a file from the present working directory to a subdirectory use the syntax below: Command: $ cp file directory Example For example, to copy a file file1.txt to a sub directory called data execute the cp command as follows. Later use the ls command to verify the existence of the file in the directory. Command: $ cp file1.txt data Sample output
- 3. 3) How to copy a file from current directory to an absolute destination path To copy a file from the present working directory to a different destination directory or absolute path, use the syntax below. Command: $ cp file /path/to/directory Example Command: $ cp file1.txt /home/james/ Output: 4) How to copy a file from absolute source path to an absolute path To copy a file(s) from a different file path to another absolute path use the syntax. Command: $ cp /path/to/source/file /path/to/destination/directory Example Command: $ cp /home/james/file1.txt /opt/data Sample output
- 4. 5) How to copy multiple files Linux cp command also allows you to copy more than one file at a go using the syntax below. Command: $ cp file1 file2 .... /path/to/directory Example Command: $ cp file1.txt file2.txt file3.txt /home/james/ Sample output 6) How to copy file with verbose output To display verbose output, use the -v flag as shown. Command: cp -v file1.txt file2.txt /home/james Sample output 7) How to copy files interactively To copy files interactively i.e to provoke a prompt from the Linux shell, use the -i flag as shown.
- 5. Command: $ cp -i file1.txt /home/james Sample output 8) How to copy files associated with a certain file extension If you wish to copy a number of files with the same file extension, say .txt or .pdf follow the example below. Command: $ cp *.txt /home/james 9) How to copy Directory Recursively If you want to copy a directory alongside all its contents, use the -R attribute followed by the directory name as shown. Command: $ cp -R data /home/james Sample output To copy the contents of a directory but not the directory itself, run the command as follows. Command: $ cp -R data/* /home/james Sample output
- 6. 10) Linux man cp We can run man cp command to look at the documentation of cp command. This is useful to find out the right options to use with the cp command. Command: man cp Sample output
- 7. 11) Usinng cp –f (Force) -f(force): If the system is unable to open destination file for writing operation because the user doesn’t have writing permission for this file then by using -f option with cp command, destination file is deleted first and then copying of content is done from source to destination file. Command: $ ls -l b.txt -r-xr-xr-x+ 1 User User 3 Nov 24 08:45 b.txt User, group and others doesn't have writing permission. Without -f option, command not executed Command: $ cp a.txt b.txt cp: cannot create regular file 'b.txt': Permission denied With -f option, command executed successfully Command: $ cp -f a.txt b.txt 12) Using cp –b (backup) -b(backup): With this option cp command creates the backup of the destination file in the same folder with the different name and in different format. Command: $ ls a.txt b.txt Command: $ cp -b a.txt b.txt Command: $ ls a.txt b.txt b.txt~
- 8. 13) Using cp * wildcard: The star wildcard represents anything i.e. all files and directories. Suppose we have many text document in a directory and wants to copy it another directory, it takes lots of time if we copy files 1 by 1 or command becomes too long if specify all these file names as the argument, but by using * wildcard it becomes simple. Note: Initially Folder1 is empty Command: $ ls a.txt b.txt c.txt d.txt e.txt Folder1 Command: $ cp *.txt Folder1 Command: $ ls Folder1 a.txt b.txt c.txt d.txt e.txt 14) Using cp -p . -p(preserve): With -p option cp preserves the following characteristics of each source file in the corresponding destination file: the time of the last data modification and the time of the last access, the ownership (only if it has permissions to do this), and the file permission-bits. Note: For the preservation of characteristics you must be the root user of the system, otherwise characteristics changes. Command: $ ls -l a.txt -rwxr-xr-x+ 1 User User 3 Nov 24 08:13 a.txt Command: $ cp -p a.txt c.txt Command: $ ls -l c.txt -rwxr-xr-x+ 1 User User 3 Nov 24 08:13 c.txt Note: Here, we can see above both a.txt and c.txt (created by copying) have same characteristics. Thank U