NAME

cp − copy files

SYNOPSIS

cp ­fromfile tofile

­cp ­fromfile ...  ­todir

­cp -r ­fromdir ...  ­todir

DESCRIPTION

In the first form, ­fromfile is any name and ­tofile is any name except an existing directory. 

In the second form, the commands copy one or more ­fromfiles into ­dir under their original file names, as if by a sequence of commands in the first form. For example:

­cp f1 f2 dir

is equivalent to:

­cp f1 dir/f1;  cp f2 dir/f2

When ­cp copies the contents of plain (non-directory) files ­fromfile to tofile, the mode and owner of ­tofile are preserved if it already exists; otherwise the mode of ­fromfile is used. 

The ­-r option directs ­cp to copy recursively the named directories ­fromdir ...  to the target directory todir.

SOURCE

­/appl/cmd/cp.b

SEE ALSO

cat(1), sys-stat(2)

DIAGNOSTICS

­Cp refuses to copy a file onto itself. 

Plan 9  —  June 29, 2000