Linux cp command man page

This page shows the contents of the Linux cp comamnd man page. This cp command output was created on a CentOS Linux system.

You can see this same cp command man page output by entering this command on your own Linux system:

man cp

Linux cp command man page

CP(1)				 User Commands				 CP(1)



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 -dpR

       --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=link

       -f, --force
	      if an existing destination file cannot be opened, remove it  and
	      try again

       -i, --interactive
	      prompt before overwrite

       -H     follow command-line symbolic links

       -l, --link
	      link files instead of copying

       -L, --dereference
	      always follow symbolic links

       -P, --no-dereference
	      never follow symbolic links

       -p     same as --preserve=mode,ownership,timestamps

       --preserve[=ATTR_LIST]
	      preserve	 the   specified   attributes	(default:  mode,owner-
	      ship,timestamps), if possible  additional	 attributes:  context,
	      links, 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

       --remove-destination
	      remove  each existing destination file before attempting to open
	      it (contrast with --force)

       --sparse=WHEN
	      control creation of sparse files

       --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 behav-
       ior  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.

       The  backup  suffix  is	‘~’,  unless  set  with	  --suffix   or	  SIM-
       PLE_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, t
	      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.

AUTHOR
       Written by Torbjorn Granlund, David MacKenzie, and Jim Meyering.

COPYRIGHT
       Copyright 2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
       This  is	 free  software.   You may redistribute copies of it under the
       terms	  of	  the	   GNU	    General	  Public       License
       <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.	 There	is NO WARRANTY, to the
       extent permitted by law.

SEE ALSO
       The full documentation for cp is maintained as a	 Texinfo  manual.   If
       the  info and cp programs are properly installed at your site, the com-
       mand

	      info cp

       should give you access to the complete manual.

cp 5.97				 January 2009				 CP(1)

This cp command man page is included here so we can reference it directly from other cp command tutorials.