xref: /netbsd-src/bin/cp/cp.1 (revision 8e6ab8837d8d6b9198e67c1c445300b483e2f304)
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33.\"	@(#)cp.1	8.3 (Berkeley) 4/18/94
34.\"
35.Dd December 18, 2002
36.Dt CP 1
37.Os
38.Sh NAME
39.Nm cp
40.Nd copy files
41.Sh SYNOPSIS
42.Nm
43.Oo
44.Fl R
45.Op Fl H | Fl L | Fl P
46.Oc
47.Op Fl f | i
48.Op Fl pv
49.Ar source_file target_file
50.Nm cp
51.Oo
52.Fl R
53.Op Fl H | Fl L | Fl P
54.Oc
55.Op Fl f | i
56.Op Fl pv
57.Ar source_file ... target_directory
58.Sh DESCRIPTION
59In the first synopsis form, the
60.Nm
61utility copies the contents of the
62.Ar source_file
63to the
64.Ar target_file .
65In the second synopsis form,
66the contents of each named
67.Ar source_file
68is copied to the destination
69.Ar target_directory .
70The names of the files themselves are not changed.
71If
72.Nm
73detects an attempt to copy a file to itself, the copy will fail.
74.Pp
75The following options are available:
76.Bl -tag -width flag
77.It Fl H
78If the
79.Fl R
80option is specified, symbolic links on the command line are followed.
81(Symbolic links encountered in the tree traversal are not followed.)
82.It Fl L
83If the
84.Fl R
85option is specified, all symbolic links are followed.
86.It Fl P
87If the
88.Fl R
89option is specified, no symbolic links are followed.
90.It Fl R
91If
92.Ar source_file
93designates a directory,
94.Nm
95copies the directory and the entire subtree connected at that point.
96This option also causes symbolic links to be copied, rather than
97indirected through, and for
98.Nm
99to create special files rather than copying them as normal files.
100Created directories have the same mode as the corresponding source
101directory, unmodified by the process' umask.
102.It Fl f
103For each existing destination pathname, attempt to overwrite it.
104If permissions do not allow copy to succeed, remove it and create a new
105file, without prompting for confirmation.
106(The
107.Fl i
108option is ignored if the
109.Fl f
110option is specified.)
111.It Fl i
112Causes
113.Nm
114to write a prompt to the standard error output before copying a file
115that would overwrite an existing file.
116If the response from the standard input begins with the character
117.Sq Li y ,
118the file copy is attempted.
119.It Fl p
120Causes
121.Nm
122to preserve in the copy as many of the modification time, access time,
123file flags, file mode, user ID, and group ID as allowed by permissions.
124.Pp
125If the user ID and group ID cannot be preserved, no error message
126is displayed and the exit value is not altered.
127.Pp
128If the source file has its set user ID bit on and the user ID cannot
129be preserved, the set user ID bit is not preserved
130in the copy's permissions.
131If the source file has its set group ID bit on and the group ID cannot
132be preserved, the set group ID bit is not preserved
133in the copy's permissions.
134If the source file has both its set user ID and set group ID bits on,
135and either the user ID or group ID cannot be preserved, neither
136the set user ID or set group ID bits are preserved in the copy's
137permissions.
138.It Fl v
139Cause
140.Nm
141to be verbose, showing files as they are copied.
142.El
143.Pp
144For each destination file that already exists, its contents are
145overwritten if permissions allow, but its mode, user ID, and group
146ID are unchanged.
147.Pp
148In the second synopsis form,
149.Ar target_directory
150must exist unless there is only one named
151.Ar source_file
152which is a directory and the
153.Fl R
154flag is specified.
155.Pp
156If the destination file does not exist, the mode of the source file is
157used as modified by the file mode creation mask
158.Pf ( Ic umask ,
159see
160.Xr csh 1 ) .
161If the source file has its set user ID bit on, that bit is removed
162unless both the source file and the destination file are owned by the
163same user.
164If the source file has its set group ID bit on, that bit is removed
165unless both the source file and the destination file are in the same
166group and the user is a member of that group.
167If both the set user ID and set group ID bits are set, all of the above
168conditions must be fulfilled or both bits are removed.
169.Pp
170Appropriate permissions are required for file creation or overwriting.
171.Pp
172Symbolic links are always followed unless the
173.Fl R
174flag is set, in which case symbolic links are not followed, by default.
175The
176.Fl H
177or
178.Fl L
179flags (in conjunction with the
180.Fl R
181flag) cause symbolic links to be followed as described above.
182The
183.Fl H ,
184.Fl L
185and
186.Fl P
187options are ignored unless the
188.Fl R
189option is specified.
190In addition, these options override each other and the
191command's actions are determined by the last one specified.
192.Sh EXIT STATUS
193.Nm
194exits 0 on success, and \*[Gt]0 if an error occurred.
195.Sh COMPATIBILITY
196Historic versions of the
197.Nm
198utility had a
199.Fl r
200option.
201This implementation supports that option, however, its use is strongly
202discouraged, as it does not correctly copy special files, symbolic links
203or fifo's.
204.Sh SEE ALSO
205.Xr mv 1 ,
206.Xr rcp 1 ,
207.Xr umask 2 ,
208.Xr fts 3 ,
209.Xr symlink 7
210.Sh STANDARDS
211The
212.Nm
213utility is expected to be
214.St -p1003.2
215compatible.
216.Pp
217The
218.Fl v
219option is an extension to
220.St -p1003.2 .
221