Linux Copy File Command [ cp Command Examples ]

How do I copy files under Linux operating systems? How do I make 2nd copy of a file?

To copy files and directories use the cp command under Linux, UNIX, and BSD like operating systems. cp is the command entered in a Unix / Linux shell to copy a file from one place to another, possibly on a different filesystem. The original file remains unchanged, and the new file may have the same or a different name.

cp Command Syntax

The syntax is as follows to copy files and directories using the cp command:

 
cp SOURCE DEST
cp SOURCE DIRECTORY
cp SOURCE1 SOURCE2 SOURCE3 SOURCEn DIRECTORY
cp [OPTION]  SOURCE DEST
cp [OPTION]  SOURCE DIRECTORY

Where,

In the first and second syntax you copy SOURCE file to DEST file or DIRECTORY.
In the third syntax you copy multiple SOURCE(s) (files) to DIRECTORY.

Linux Copy File Examples

To make a copy of a file called file.doc in the current directory as newfile.doc, enter:
$ cp file.doc newfile.doc $ ls -l *.doc

To copy a file in your current directory into another directory, enter:
$ cp filename /tmp $ ls /tmp/filename $ cd /tmp $ ls $ rm filename

To copy a file to a new file and preserve the modification date, time, and access control list associated with the source file, enter:
$ cp -p filename /path/to/new/location/myfile

To copy all the files in a directory to a new directory, enter:
$ cp * /home/tom/backup

To copy a directory, including all its files and subdirectories, to another directory, enter (copy directories recursively):
$ cp -R * /home/tom/backup

Linux Copy File Command [ cp Command Examples ]

cp Command Syntax

Linux Copy File Examples

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