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Full Discussion: BASH: Interactive "cp" (and "mv") in a loop
Top Forums UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers BASH: Interactive "cp" (and "mv") in a loop Post 302504070 by SilversleevesX on Sunday 13th of March 2011 01:00:40 PM
Old 03-13-2011
BASH: Interactive "cp" (and "mv") in a loop
Hi.

I have a copy-file script (and a move-file script) that I recently tried to make interactive. I tested the former on three files from a text list, and watched to see what would happen. As the cp command was in a while/do/done loop, there was no pause for input: it wrote the file from the list to the destination directory. Casually-speaking, it "barreled right through" the list as if the -i wasn't there.

Here's part of the copy-file script.
Code:
#!/bin/bash

while read 'line';
do
n=$(echo $line)
file=${n%,*}
dest=${n#*,}
if [[ "$dest" == "" ]]; then continue; fi
echo -e "Copying $file now."
cp -ipPv $file $dest

done<copylist.txt

I know the 'pPv' options are more or less unnecessary, particularly the capital 'P', but as I write and use many of my scripts both in Cygwin and GNOME, it seems more prudent to me to include them.

In a loop such as this, would I be better off preventing overwrite (and changes of mod date, file-length, etc to the file that ended up at the destination) to write in an if/then/fi that checked for the file in the destination before copying? Something like this?
Code:
if [ -e "$dest/$file" ]; then
echo -e "Do you want to overwrite $file? (y/n)"
read arPLy
if [[ "$arPLy" != "n" ]]; then
cp -pPv $file $dest
else
continue
fi
fi

Or is there a way to introduce (I hesitate to say "force") a pause in that loop at the "cp -i" stage?

Hope someone can help and soon.

BZT
 

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LEARN ABOUT ULTRIX

lp

lp(1)							      General Commands Manual							     lp(1)

Name
       lp - send requests to an LP line printer

Syntax
       lp [-c] [-d dest] [-n number] [-] [files]

Description
       The command arranges for the named files and associated information (collectively called a request) to be printed by a line printer.  If no
       file names are mentioned, the standard input is assumed.  When a file name is designated by a minus sign (-) it	stands	for  the  standard
       input  and may be supplied on the command line in conjunction with named files.	The order in which files appear is the same order in which
       they are printed.

       This command exists for X/OPEN compatibility.

Options
       The following options to may appear in any order and may be intermixed with file names:

       -c	   Makes copies of the files to be printed immediately when is invoked.  Normally, files are not copied, but are  linked  whenever
		   possible.  If the -c option is not given, then the user should be careful not to remove any of the files before the request has
		   been printed in its entirety.  It should also be noted that without the -c option, any changes made to the  named  files  after
		   the request is made but before it is printed are reflected in the printed output.

       -d dest	   Chooses  dest  as  the  printer that is to do the printing.	If dest is a printer, then the request is printed on that specific
		   printer.  By default, dest is taken from the environment variable PRINTER if it is set.  Otherwise, a default destination,  lp,
		   is used.

       -n number   Prints number copies (default of 1) of the output.

Files
       /etc/passwd	      personal identification
       /etc/printcap	      printer capabilities data base
       /usr/lib/lpd*	      line printer daemons
       /usr/spool/*	      directories used for spooling
       /usr/spool/*/cf*       daemon control files
       /usr/spool/*/df*       data files specified in cf files
       /usr/spool/*/tf*       temporary copies of cf files

See Also
       lpq(1), lpr(1), lprm(1), pr(1), symlink(2), printcap(2), lpc(8), lpd(8)

																	     lp(1)
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