Q. How do I copy all the file including subdirectories from DVD disk mounted at /mnt/dvd to /home/tom at a shell prompt under CentOS Linux?

A. You need to use cp command to copy SOURCE to DESTINATION or multiple SOURCE(s) to a DIRECTORY. Gnu cp command has -a option which copy directories recursively while preserving the file attributes such as mode,ownership,timestamps and security contexts, if possible additional attributes such as links et all.

cp command syntax

Use the following syntax:
cp -a {/path/to/source} {/path/to/destination}

For example copy all files including subdirectories from /mnt/dvd/data to /home/tom/data, enter:
$ cp -a /mnt/dvd/data/* /home/tom/data
OR
$ cp -av /mnt/dvd/data/* /home/tom/data

Recursively copy entire directories

Many other command (including cp) support -r or -R option for copying file recursively. For example scp secure network copy command:
$ scp -r *.cpp [email protected]:~
OR use cp command locally (instead of -a option):
$ cp -r *.cpp /path/to/dest