When copying files using the cp command in Linux system, you need to pay attention to the command format and common parameters. To copy a file, you need to use the basic format cp [Options] source file target path; if you need to preserve file properties, add the -a parameter; to prevent overwriting existing files, use the -i option; to display the copying process; if you use the -v parameter if you do not prompt for forced copying, use the -f parameter; when copying the directory, you must add the -r parameter for recursion.
Copying files in Linux systems is actually not difficult. The key is to understand the basic usage and common options of the cp command. Mastering a few common parameters can deal with most daily operations.
Copy files using the cp command
The most commonly used copy command in Linux is cp . Its basic format is:
cp [Options] Source file destination path
For example, to copy file.txt in the current directory to the /home/user/documents/ directory, you can write it like this:
cp file.txt /home/user/documents/
If you still want to retain the properties of the original file (such as modification time, permissions, etc.), remember to add the -a parameter. This parameter is actually a combination of -dR --preserve , which is suitable for complete copying.
Common options include:
-
-i: Ask before coverage -
-v: Show the copy process -
-f: Forced copy, no prompt
Note whether the target path already has a file with the same name
The most prone thing to make mistakes when copying is overwriting existing files. For example, you execute:
cp file.txt /home/user/docs/
There is already a file.txt under /home/user/docs/ . By default, the system will directly overwrite it and will not remind you. To avoid misoperation, it is recommended to use the -i option:
cp -i file.txt /home/user/docs/
If the file exists at this time, the terminal will prompt you to confirm whether to overwrite it.
Batch copy multiple files or directories
If you want to copy multiple files at once, you can list all the source files directly in the command, and the last one is the target directory. For example:
cp file1.txt file2.txt /backup/
This will copy both files to the /backup/ directory. If you are copying the entire directory, don't forget to add the -r parameter to represent recursive copying:
cp -r my_folder/ /backup/
If there is no -r , the system will report an error because the directory cannot be copied directly by default.
Basically that's it. Master the basic usage of the cp command and several key parameters, and you will not have any major problems when copying files under Linux.
The above is the detailed content of how to copy a file in linux. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!
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