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,owner-           ship,timestamps),     if  possible  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 corresponding DEST file is made sparse as well.  That is the behav-        ior 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 stan-        dard copy.        The  backup  suffix  is    ‘~’,  unless  set  with      --suffix   or      SIM-        PLE_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/>        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 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  com-        mand           info coreutils 'cp invocation'        should give you access to the complete manual. GNU coreutils 8.4           June 2012                 CP(1)