cp Command

Purpose:

Copies files.

Syntax:

To Copy a File to another File

cp [ -E{force|ignore|warn} ] [ -f ] [ -h ] [ -i ] [ -p ][ -- ] SourceFile
TargetFile

To Copy a File to a Directory

cp [ -E{force|ignore|warn} ] [ -f ] [ -h ] [ -i ] [ -p ] [[ -r | -R ] [ -H | -L
| -P ]] [ -- ] SourceFile ... TargetDirectory

To Copy a Directory to a Directory

cp [ -E{force|ignore|warn} ] [ -f ] [ -h ] [ -i ] [ -p ] { -r | -R } [ -H | -L
| -P ] [ -- ] SourceDirectory ... TargetDirectory

Description:

The cp command copies the source file specified by the SourceFile parameter to
the destination file specified by the TargetFile parameter. If the target file
exists, cp overwrites the contents, but the mode, owner, and group associated
with it are not changed. The last access time of the SourceFile and the last
modification time of the TargetFile are set to the time the copy was done. If
the TargetFile does not exist, cp creates a new file named TargetFile that has
the same mode as the source file except that the sticky bit is not set unless
it was done by a superuser; the owner and group of the TargetFile is that of
the user. When the TargetFile is a link to another file, cp overwrites the
destination link with the content of the source file; the links from the
TargetFile remains. Also, the cp command can copy the source files specified by
the SourceFile parameter (or directories named by the SourceDirectory
parameter) to the directory specified by the TargetDirectory parameter.

Note: If one of the source parameters is a directory, you need to specify
one of the -r or -R flags.

If any directories are created by the cp command during the copying process,
the newly created directory will have the same mode as the corresponding source
directory.

You can also copy special device files. The preferred option for accomplishing
this is the -R flag. Specifying -R causes the special files to be re-created
under the new path name. Specifying the -r flag causes the cp command to
attempt to copy the special file to a regular file.

Flags:

-E The -E option requires one of the following arguments. If you omit the -E
option, warn is the default behavior.

force
Fails the cp operation on a file if the fixed extent size or space
reservation of the file cannot be preserved.

ignore
Ignores any errors in preserving extent attributes.

warn
Issues a warning if the space reservation or the fixed extent size of the
file cannot be preserved.

-f Specifies removal of the target file if it cannot be opened for write
operations. The removal precedes any copying performed by the cp command.

-h Forces the cp command to copy symbolic links. The default is to follow
symbolic links, that is, to copy files to which symbolic links point.

-H Take actions based on the type and contents of the file referenced by any
symbolic link specified as a SourceFile operand.

-i Prompts you with the name of a file to be overwritten. This occurs if the
TargetDirectory or TargetFile parameter contains a file with the same name as a
file specified in the SourceFile or SourceDirectory parameter. If you enter y
or the locale's equivalent of y, the cp command continues. Any other answer
prevents the cp command from overwriting the file.

-L Take actions based on the type and contents of the file referenced by any
symbolic link specified as a SourceFile operand or any symbolic links
encountered during traversal of a file hierarchy.

-p Duplicates the following characteristics of each SourceFile/SourceDirectory
in the corresponding TargetFile and/or TargetDirectory:

o The time of the last data modification and the time of the last access. If
this duplication fails for any reason, the cp command will write a
diagnostic message to standard error.
o The user ID and group ID. If this duplication fails for any reason, the cp
command may write a diagnostic message to standard error.
o The file permission bits and the S_ISUID and S_ISGID bits. If this
duplication fails for any reason, the cp command will write a diagnostic
message to standard error.

If the user ID or group ID cannot be duplicated, the file permission bits
S_ISUID and S_ISGID are cleared.

In order to preserve the owner ID and group ID, permission modes, modification
and access times, user must have the appropriate file access permissions (user
should be a superuser or have the same owner ID as the destination file)

The target file will not be deleted if these characteristics cannot be
preserved.

Access control lists (ACLs) associated with the SourceFile are also preserved.
See User Accounts in AIX 5L Version 5.2 System User's Guide: Operating System
and Devices to learn more about ACLs.

-P Take actions on any symbolic link specified as a SourceFile operand or any
symbolic link encountered during traversal of a file hierarchy.

-r Copies file hierarchies under the file or directory specified by the
SourceFile or SourceDirectory parameter (recursive copy). The -r flag processes
special files in the same manner as regular files.

-R Copies file hierarchies under the regular files and directories from the
directory specified by the SourceFile or SourceDirectory parameter to the
directory specified by the TargetDirectory parameter. Special file types, such
as first-in, first-out (FIFO) files and block and character device files, are
re-created instead of copied. Symbolic links are followed unless the -h flag is
specified. (The -R flag is preferred to the -r flag.)

If none of the -H, -L, or -P options were specified, it is unspecified which of
those options will be used as the default. Consider the following:

o If the -H option was specified, the cp command will take action based on
the type and contents of the file referenced by any symbolic link specified
as a SourceFile operand.
o If the -L option was specified, the cp command will take action based on
the type and contents of the file referenced by any symbolic link specified
as a SourceFile operand or any symbolic links encountered during traversal
of a file hierarchy.
o If the -P option was specified, the cp command will copy any symbolic link
specified as a SourceFile operand and any symbolic links encountered during
traversal of a file hierarchy and will not follow any symbolic links.

-- Indicates that parameters following the -- (dash, dash) flag are to be
interpreted as file names. This null flag allows the specification of file
names that start with a - (minus sign).

Exit Status

This command returns the following exit values:

0 All files were copied successfully.

>0 An error occurred.

Examples:

1. To make a copy of a file in the current directory, enter:

cp prog.c prog.bak

This copies prog.c to prog.bak. If the prog.bak file does not already
exist, the cp command creates it. If it does exist, the cp command
replaces it with a copy of the prog.c file.
2. To copy a file in your current directory into another directory, enter:

cp jones /home/nick/clients

This copies the jones file to /home/nick/clients/jones.
3. To copy a file to a new file and preserve the modification date, time, and
access control list associated with the source file, enter:

cp -p smith smith.jr

This copies the smith file to the smith.jr file. Instead of creating the
file with the current date and time stamp, the system gives the smith.jr
file the same date and time as the smith file. The smith.jr file also
inherits the smith file's access control protection.
4. To copy all the files in a directory to a new directory, enter:

cp /home/janet/clients/* /home/nick/customers

This copies only the files in the clients directory to the customers
directory.
5. To copy a directory, including all its files and subdirectories, to
another directory, enter:

cp -R /home/nick/clients /home/nick/customers

Note: A directory cannot be copied into itself. This copies the clients
directory, including all its files, subdirectories, and the files in those
subdirectories, to the customers/clients directory.
6. To copy a specific set of files to another directory, enter:

cp jones lewis smith /home/nick/clients

This copies the jones, lewis, and smith files in your current working
directory to the /home/nick/clients directory.
7. To use pattern-matching characters to copy files, enter:

cp programs/*.c .

This copies the files in the programs directory that end with .c to the
current directory, signified by the single . (dot). You must type a space
between the c and the final dot.