cp

📝 cp Command in Linux

The cp command is used to copy files and directories in Linux.

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🧰 Common Options

Option	Description
-r	Copy directories recursively
-i	Prompt before overwriting an existing file
-u	Copy only when the source file is newer than the destination file
-v	Verbose mode, show files being copied
-n	Do not overwrite an existing file
-p	Preserve file attributes (timestamps, mode, ownership)
-a	Archive mode (preserve structure, symlinks, and attributes)
--backup	Make a backup of the destination file before overwriting

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📋 Basic Syntax

cp [options] [source] [destination]

• source: File or directory to copy.

• destination: The location to copy the source to.

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📝 Common Commands

Copy a File

cp file1.txt file2.txt  # Copy file1.txt to file2.txt

Copy a Directory Recursively

cp -r dir1/ dir2/  # Copy the contents of dir1 to dir2

Verbose Mode (Show Progress)

cp -v file1.txt file2.txt  # Show details of copied files

Copy and Preserve File Attributes

cp -p file1.txt file2.txt  # Preserve timestamps, permissions, etc.

Copy Without Overwriting Existing Files

cp -n file1.txt file2.txt  # Copy only if file2.txt does not exist

Copy with Backup (e.g., file1.txt becomes file1.txt~)

cp --backup file1.txt file2.txt

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⚙️ Copy Multiple Files to a Directory

Copy Multiple Files to a Directory

cp file1.txt file2.txt /path/to/destination/

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💡 Additional Tips

• Use -i for safety: If you are unsure whether files will be overwritten, use -i to be prompted before overwriting.

• Combine with find: You can combine cp with find to copy files that meet certain criteria.

  find . -name "*.txt" -exec cp {} /path/to/destination/ \;

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