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.\" DO NOT MODIFY THIS FILE! It was generated by help2man 1.35.
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.TH CP "1" "October 2012" "GNU coreutils 8.20" "User Commands"
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cp \- copy files and directories
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[\fIOPTION\fR]... [\fI-T\fR] \fISOURCE DEST\fR
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[\fIOPTION\fR]... \fISOURCE\fR... \fIDIRECTORY\fR
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[\fIOPTION\fR]... \fI-t DIRECTORY SOURCE\fR...
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.\" Add any additional description here
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Copy SOURCE to DEST, or multiple SOURCE(s) to DIRECTORY.
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Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.
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\fB\-a\fR, \fB\-\-archive\fR
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same as \fB\-dR\fR \fB\-\-preserve\fR=\fIall\fR
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\fB\-\-attributes\-only\fR
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don't copy the file data, just the attributes
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\fB\-\-backup\fR[=\fICONTROL\fR]
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make a backup of each existing destination file
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like \fB\-\-backup\fR but does not accept an argument
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\fB\-\-copy\-contents\fR
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copy contents of special files when recursive
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same as \fB\-\-no\-dereference\fR \fB\-\-preserve\fR=\fIlinks\fR
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\fB\-f\fR, \fB\-\-force\fR
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if an existing destination file cannot be
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opened, remove it and try again (redundant if
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the \fB\-n\fR option is used)
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\fB\-i\fR, \fB\-\-interactive\fR
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prompt before overwrite (overrides a previous \fB\-n\fR
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follow command\-line symbolic links in SOURCE
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\fB\-l\fR, \fB\-\-link\fR
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hard link files instead of copying
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\fB\-L\fR, \fB\-\-dereference\fR
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always follow symbolic links in SOURCE
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\fB\-n\fR, \fB\-\-no\-clobber\fR
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do not overwrite an existing file (overrides
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a previous \fB\-i\fR option)
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\fB\-P\fR, \fB\-\-no\-dereference\fR
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never follow symbolic links in SOURCE
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same as \fB\-\-preserve\fR=\fImode\fR,ownership,timestamps
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\fB\-\-preserve\fR[=\fIATTR_LIST\fR]
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preserve the specified attributes (default:
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mode,ownership,timestamps), if possible
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additional attributes: context, links, xattr,
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\fB\-\-no\-preserve\fR=\fIATTR_LIST\fR
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don't preserve the specified attributes
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use full source file name under DIRECTORY
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\fB\-R\fR, \fB\-r\fR, \fB\-\-recursive\fR
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copy directories recursively
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\fB\-\-reflink\fR[=\fIWHEN\fR]
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control clone/CoW copies. See below
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\fB\-\-remove\-destination\fR
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remove each existing destination file before
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attempting to open it (contrast with \fB\-\-force\fR)
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\fB\-\-sparse\fR=\fIWHEN\fR
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control creation of sparse files. See below
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\fB\-\-strip\-trailing\-slashes\fR
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remove any trailing slashes from each SOURCE
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\fB\-s\fR, \fB\-\-symbolic\-link\fR
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make symbolic links instead of copying
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\fB\-S\fR, \fB\-\-suffix\fR=\fISUFFIX\fR
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override the usual backup suffix
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\fB\-t\fR, \fB\-\-target\-directory\fR=\fIDIRECTORY\fR
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copy all SOURCE arguments into DIRECTORY
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\fB\-T\fR, \fB\-\-no\-target\-directory\fR
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treat DEST as a normal file
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\fB\-u\fR, \fB\-\-update\fR
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copy only when the SOURCE file is newer
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than the destination file or when the
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destination file is missing
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\fB\-v\fR, \fB\-\-verbose\fR
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explain what is being done
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\fB\-x\fR, \fB\-\-one\-file\-system\fR
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stay on this file system
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display this help and exit
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output version information and exit
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By default, sparse SOURCE files are detected by a crude heuristic and the
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corresponding DEST file is made sparse as well. That is the behavior
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selected by \fB\-\-sparse\fR=\fIauto\fR. Specify \fB\-\-sparse\fR=\fIalways\fR to create a sparse DEST
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file whenever the SOURCE file contains a long enough sequence of zero bytes.
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Use \fB\-\-sparse\fR=\fInever\fR to inhibit creation of sparse files.
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When \fB\-\-reflink\fR[=\fIalways\fR] is specified, perform a lightweight copy, where the
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data blocks are copied only when modified. If this is not possible the copy
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fails, or if \fB\-\-reflink\fR=\fIauto\fR is specified, fall back to a standard copy.
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The backup suffix is '~', unless set with \fB\-\-suffix\fR or SIMPLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX.
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The version control method may be selected via the \fB\-\-backup\fR option or through
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the VERSION_CONTROL environment variable. Here are the values:
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never make backups (even if \fB\-\-backup\fR is given)
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make numbered backups
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numbered if numbered backups exist, simple otherwise
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always make simple backups
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As a special case, cp makes a backup of SOURCE when the force and backup
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options are given and SOURCE and DEST are the same name for an existing,
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Written by Torbjorn Granlund, David MacKenzie, and Jim Meyering.
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Report cp bugs to bug\-coreutils@gnu.org
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GNU coreutils home page: <http://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>
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General help using GNU software: <http://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>
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Report cp translation bugs to <http://translationproject.org/team/>
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Copyright \(co 2012 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
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License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
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This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
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There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.
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The full documentation for
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is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If the
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programs are properly installed at your site, the command
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.B info coreutils \(aqcp invocation\(aq
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should give you access to the complete manual.
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