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The cp command in Linux is used to copy files and directories from one location to another. It's a fundamental command for managing files and directories on the Linux command line. The basic syntax of the cp command is
cp [OPTIONS] SOURCE DESTINATION:
Here,"OPTIONS" are optional flags that modify the behavior of the cp command, "SOURCE" is the file or directory you want to copy, and "DESTINATION" is the location where you want to copy the source to.
Some common options for the cp command include:
- -r or -R: This option is used to copy directories recursively. If you're copying directories, you usually want to use this flag to ensure that all contents and subdirectories are copied.
- -i: This option prompts you for confirmation before overwriting existing files in the destination. It's a good idea to use this option to prevent accidental data loss.
- -u: This option copies only when the source file is newer than the destination file or when the destination file is missing. It's useful for updating files without unnecessary copying.
- -v: This option enables verbose mode, which displays the files being copied.
- -p: This option preserves the attributes and permissions of the original file, including ownership, permissions, timestamps, etc.
Here are a couple of examples of using the cp command:
$ cp file.txt /path/to/destination/ ←Copying a file
$ cp -r directory_name /path/to/destination/ ←Copying a directory and its contents
$ cp -i file.txt /path/to/destination/ ←Copying a file with confirmation before overwriting
$ cp -p file.txt /path/to/destination/ ←Copying and preserving file attributes |
For more examples of using cp, refer to the provided link