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

       --attributes-only
	      don't copy the file data, just the attributes

       --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  (this	 option	 is ignored when the -n option is also
	      used)

       -i, --interactive
	      prompt before overwrite (overrides a previous -n option)

       -H     follow command-line symbolic links in SOURCE

       -l, --link
	      hard 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,ownership,time-
	      stamps), if  possible  additional	 attributes:  context,	links,
	      xattr, all

       -c     deprecated, 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     set SELinux security context of destination file to default type

       --context[=CTX]
	      like  -Z,	 or  if CTX is specified then set the SELinux or SMACK
	      security context to CTX

       --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.

       GNU  coreutils  online  help:  <http://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>
       Report cp translation bugs to <http://translationproject.org/team/>

AUTHOR
       Written by Torbjorn Granlund, David MacKenzie, and Jim Meyering.

COPYRIGHT
       Copyright (C) 2013 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 8.22		 February 2016				 CP(1)