Copying files or folders in Linux is mainly done through the cp command. 1. When copying a single file, use the target path of the cp source file. If you do not want to overwrite the existing files, you can add the -i parameter to ask for confirmation. 2. The -r parameter is required to copy the folder to achieve recursive copying, such as the target path of the cp -r source directory. 3. Keep the file attributes available with the -p parameter, or use the archive mode -a to retain permissions, timestamps and other metadata. 4. Common techniques include adding -v to display the detailed process, completing file names with the Tab key, copying multiple files to the same directory at once, and using sudo to elevate permissions when copying across users. Mastering these parameters can effectively avoid misoperation and data loss.
Copying files or folders in Linux is a basic but very common operation, mainly done through the cp command. Mastering its basic usage can make you more efficient when operating in terminals.
Copy a single file
This is the easiest scenario: you want to copy a file from one location to another.
Command format:
cp source file target path
for example:
cp document.txt /home/user/Documents/
This command will copy the document.txt file in the current directory to /home/user/Documents/ directory.
Note: If the target path already has a file with the same name, it will be overwritten by default. If you don't want this, you can add the
-iparameter and the system will ask you before it is overwritten.
Copy the entire folder (recursive copy)
When you want to copy a folder containing multiple subfiles and subdirectories, you need to use the -r parameter (recursively "recursive"):
cp -r source directory target path
For example:
cp -r project/ backup/
This will copy the project folder and all its contents into the backup folder in its entirety.
Common parameters supplements:
-
-a: Archive mode, retaining permissions, timestamps and other attributes, suitable for backup. -
-v: Shows detailed information during the copying process.
Keep file attributes while copying
Sometimes, you need to copy the file while retaining its original permissions, timestamps and other metadata. You can use:
cp -p source file target path
This command preserves the file modification time, access time and permission settings.
If you want to keep these properties and copy the entire directory at the same time, you can use it in conjunction:
cp -rp source directory target path
Or use archive mode directly:
cp -a source directory target path
Tips and precautions
If you often operate a large number of files, it is recommended to add
-ior-nparameters to avoid misoverlapping.Use the Tab key to automatically complete the file name to reduce input errors.
You can copy multiple files to the same directory at once, for example:
cp file1.txt file2.txt /target/dir/
If you want to copy across users, you may need to use
sudoto elevate permissions.
Basically that's it. Although the operation looks simple, paying attention to parameter matching can avoid a lot of trouble.
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