man--cp

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 -dR --preserve=all

       --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=links

       -f, --force
              if  an  existing  destination  file  cannot  be opened, remove it and try again
              (redundant if the -n option is used)

       -i, --interactive
              prompt before overwrite (overrides a previous -n option)

       -H     follow command-line symbolic links in SOURCE

       -l, --link
              link files instead of copying

       -L, --dereference
              always follow symbolic links in SOURCE

       -n, --no-clobber
              do not overwrite an existing file (overrides a previous -i option)

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

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

       --preserve[=ATTR_LIST]
              preserve the specified attributes (default: mode,ownership,timestamps), if pos-
              sible additional attributes: context, links, xattr, 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

       --reflink[=WHEN]
              control clone/CoW copies. See below.

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

       --sparse=WHEN
              control creation of sparse files. See below.

       --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 correspond-
       ing DEST file is made sparse as well.  That is the behavior 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.

       When  --reflink[=always]  is  specified,  perform  a  lightweight copy, where the data
       blocks are copied only when modified.  If this is not possible the copy fails,  or  if
       --reflink=auto is specified, fall back to a standard copy.

       The  backup suffix is ‘~’, unless set with --suffix or SIMPLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX.  The ver-
       sion control method may be selected via  the  --backup  option  or  through  the  VER-
       SION_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.

REPORTING BUGS
       Report cp bugs to [email protected]
       GNU coreutils home page: <http://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>
       General help using GNU software: <http://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>
       Report cp translation bugs to <http://translationproject.org/team/>

COPYRIGHT
       Copyright © 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc.  License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3  or
       later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
       This  is  free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.  There is NO WAR-
       RANTY, 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 command

              info coreutils 'cp invocation'

       should give you access to the complete manual.

GNU coreutils 8.4                November 2013                           CP(1)
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