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



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User Commands						    CP(1)



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

     --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 desti-
	  nation file or when the destination file is missing

     -v, --verbose
	  explain what is being	done

     -x, --one-file-system
	  stay on this file system

     --help
	  display this help and	exit

     --version
	  output version information and exit




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User Commands						    CP(1)



     By	default, sparse	SOURCE files  are  detected  by	 a  crude
     heuristic	and the	corresponding DEST file	is made	sparse as
     well.  That  is  the  behavior  selected  by  --sparse=auto.
     Specify  --sparse=always  to create a sparse DEST file when-
     ever 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
     SIMPLE_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.

REPORTING BUGS
     Report cp bugs to bug-coreutils@gnu.org
     GNU	     coreutils		   home		    page:
     <http://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>
     General	    help	using	     GNU	software:
     <http://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>

COPYRIGHT
     Copyright c 2009 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	redistri-
     bute  it.	 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 command



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User Commands						    CP(1)



	  info coreutils cp invocation

     should give you access to the complete manual.




















































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