xref: /netbsd-src/bin/cp/cp.1 (revision cac8e449158efc7261bebc8657cbb0125a2cfdde)
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33.\"	@(#)cp.1	8.3 (Berkeley) 4/18/94
34.\"
35.Dd August 15, 2005
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 Npv
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 Npv
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 f
78For each existing destination pathname, attempt to overwrite it.
79If permissions do not allow copy to succeed, remove it and create a new
80file, without prompting for confirmation.
81(The
82.Fl i
83option is ignored if the
84.Fl f
85option is specified.)
86.It Fl H
87If the
88.Fl R
89option is specified, symbolic links on the command line are followed.
90(Symbolic links encountered in the tree traversal are not followed.)
91.It Fl i
92Causes
93.Nm
94to write a prompt to the standard error output before copying a file
95that would overwrite an existing file.
96If the response from the standard input begins with the character
97.Sq Li y ,
98the file copy is attempted.
99.It Fl L
100If the
101.Fl R
102option is specified, all symbolic links are followed.
103.It Fl N
104When used with
105.Fl p ,
106don't copy file flags.
107.It Fl P
108No symbolic links are followed.
109.It Fl p
110Causes
111.Nm
112to preserve in the copy as many of the modification time, access time,
113file flags, file mode, user ID, and group ID as allowed by permissions.
114.Pp
115If the user ID and group ID cannot be preserved, no error message
116is displayed and the exit value is not altered.
117.Pp
118If the source file has its set user ID bit on and the user ID cannot
119be preserved, the set user ID bit is not preserved
120in the copy's permissions.
121If the source file has its set group ID bit on and the group ID cannot
122be preserved, the set group ID bit is not preserved
123in the copy's permissions.
124If the source file has both its set user ID and set group ID bits on,
125and either the user ID or group ID cannot be preserved, neither
126the set user ID or set group ID bits are preserved in the copy's
127permissions.
128.It Fl R
129If
130.Ar source_file
131designates a directory,
132.Nm
133copies the directory and the entire subtree connected at that point.
134This option also causes symbolic links to be copied, rather than
135indirected through, and for
136.Nm
137to create special files rather than copying them as normal files.
138Created directories have the same mode as the corresponding source
139directory, unmodified by the process's umask.
140.It Fl v
141Cause
142.Nm
143to be verbose, showing files as they are copied.
144.El
145.Pp
146For each destination file that already exists, its contents are
147overwritten if permissions allow, but its mode, user ID, and group
148ID are unchanged.
149.Pp
150In the second synopsis form,
151.Ar target_directory
152must exist unless there is only one named
153.Ar source_file
154which is a directory and the
155.Fl R
156flag is specified.
157.Pp
158If the destination file does not exist, the mode of the source file is
159used as modified by the file mode creation mask
160.Ic ( umask ,
161see
162.Xr csh 1 ) .
163If the source file has its set user ID bit on, that bit is removed
164unless both the source file and the destination file are owned by the
165same user.
166If the source file has its set group ID bit on, that bit is removed
167unless both the source file and the destination file are in the same
168group and the user is a member of that group.
169If both the set user ID and set group ID bits are set, all of the above
170conditions must be fulfilled or both bits are removed.
171.Pp
172Appropriate permissions are required for file creation or overwriting.
173.Pp
174Symbolic links are always followed unless the
175.Fl R
176flag is set, in which case symbolic links are not followed, by default.
177The
178.Fl H
179or
180.Fl L
181flags (in conjunction with the
182.Fl R
183flag), as well as the
184.Fl P
185flag cause symbolic links to be followed as described above.
186The
187.Fl H
188and
189.Fl L
190options are ignored unless the
191.Fl R
192option is specified.
193In addition, these options override each other and the
194command's actions are determined by the last one specified.
195.Sh EXIT STATUS
196.Ex -std cp
197.Sh COMPATIBILITY
198Historic versions of the
199.Nm
200utility had a
201.Fl r
202option.
203This implementation supports that option, however, its use is strongly
204discouraged, as it does not correctly copy special files, symbolic links
205or fifo's.
206.Sh SEE ALSO
207.Xr mv 1 ,
208.Xr rcp 1 ,
209.Xr umask 2 ,
210.Xr fts 3 ,
211.Xr symlink 7
212.Sh STANDARDS
213The
214.Nm
215utility is expected to be
216.St -p1003.2
217compatible.
218.Pp
219The
220.Fl v
221option is an extension to
222.St -p1003.2 .
223