CP(1)								   User Commands							     CP(1)

NAME

       cp - copy files and directories

SYNOPSIS

       cp [OPTION]... [-T] SOURCE DEST
       cp [OPTION]... SOURCE... DIRECTORY
       cp [OPTION]... -t DIRECTORY SOURCE...

DESCRIPTION

       Copy SOURCE to DEST, or multiple SOURCE(s) to DIRECTORY.

       Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.

       -a, --archive
	      same as -dR --preserve=all

       --backup[=CONTROL]
	      make a backup of each existing destination file

       -b     like --backup but does not accept an argument

       --copy-contents
	      copy contents of special files when recursive

       -d     same as --no-dereference --preserve=links

       -f, --force
	      if an existing destination file cannot be opened, remove it and try again (redundant if the -n option is used)

       -i, --interactive
	      prompt before overwrite (overrides a previous -n option)

       -H     follow command-line symbolic links in SOURCE

       -l, --link
	      link files instead of copying

       -L, --dereference
	      always follow symbolic links in SOURCE

       -n, --no-clobber
	      do not overwrite an existing file (overrides a previous -i option)

       -P, --no-dereference
	      never follow symbolic links in SOURCE

       -p     same as --preserve=mode,ownership,timestamps

       --preserve[=ATTR_LIST]
	      preserve	the  specified	attributes (default: mode,ownership,timestamps), if possible additional attributes: context, links, xattr,
	      all

       --no-preserve=ATTR_LIST
	      don't preserve the specified attributes

       --parents
	      use full source file name under DIRECTORY

       -R, -r, --recursive
	      copy directories recursively

       --remove-destination
	      remove each existing destination file before attempting to open it (contrast with --force)

       --sparse=WHEN
	      control creation of sparse files

       --strip-trailing-slashes
	      remove any trailing slashes from each SOURCE argument

       -s, --symbolic-link
	      make symbolic links instead of copying

       -S, --suffix=SUFFIX
	      override the usual backup suffix

       -t, --target-directory=DIRECTORY
	      copy all SOURCE arguments into DIRECTORY

       -T, --no-target-directory
	      treat DEST as a normal file

       -u, --update
	      copy only when the SOURCE file is newer than the destination file or when the destination file is missing

       -v, --verbose
	      explain what is being done

       -x, --one-file-system
	      stay on this file system

       --help display this help and exit

       --version
	      output version information and exit

       By default, sparse SOURCE files are detected by a crude heuristic and the corresponding DEST file is made sparse  as  well.   That  is  the
       behavior  selected  by --sparse=auto.  Specify --sparse=always to create a sparse DEST file whenever the SOURCE file contains a long enough
       sequence of zero bytes.	Use --sparse=never to inhibit creation of sparse files.

       The backup suffix is `~', unless set with --suffix or SIMPLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX.  The version control method may be selected	via  the  --backup
       option or through the VERSION_CONTROL environment variable.  Here are the values:

       none, off
	      never make backups (even if --backup is given)

       numbered, t
	      make numbered backups

       existing, nil
	      numbered if numbered backups exist, simple otherwise

       simple, never
	      always make simple backups

       As  a  special  case,  cp makes a backup of SOURCE when the force and backup options are given and SOURCE and DEST are the same name for an
       existing, regular file.

AUTHOR

       Written by Torbjorn Granlund, David MacKenzie, and Jim Meyering.

REPORTING BUGS

       Report cp bugs to bug-coreutils@gnu.org
       GNU coreutils home page: <http://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>
       General help using GNU software: <http://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>

COPYRIGHT

       Copyright (C) 2009 Free Software Foundation, Inc.  License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
       This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.  There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

SEE ALSO

       The full documentation for cp is maintained as a Texinfo manual.  If the info and cp programs are properly installed at your site, the com-
       mand

	      info coreutils 'cp invocation'

       should give you access to the complete manual.

GNU coreutils 7.1						     July 2010								     CP(1)