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CP

Section: User Commands (1)
Updated: February 2026
Index Return to Main Contents

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.

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-a'-a, --archiveX'tty: link': same as -dR --preserve=,all/
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-attribute-only'--attributes-onlyX'tty: link': don't copy the file data, just the attributes
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-backup'--backup[=CONTROL]X'tty: link': make a backup of each existing destination file
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-b'-bX'tty: link': like --backup but does not accept an argument
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-cop-contents'--copy-contentsX'tty: link': copy contents of special files when recursive
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-d'-dX'tty: link': same as --no-dereference --preserve=,links/
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-debug'--debugX'tty: link': explain how a file is copied. Implies -v
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-f'-f, --forceX'tty: link': if an existing destination file cannot be opened, remove it and try again (this option is ignored when the -n option is also used)
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-i'-i, --interactiveX'tty: link': prompt before overwrite (overrides a previous -n option)
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-H'-HX'tty: link': follow command-line symbolic links in SOURCE
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-L'-L, --dereferenceX'tty: link': always follow symbolic links in SOURCE
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-P'-P, --no-dereferenceX'tty: link': never follow symbolic links in SOURCE
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-kee-director-symlink'--keep-directory-symlinkX'tty: link': follow existing symlinks to directories
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-l'-l, --linkX'tty: link': hard link files instead of copying
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-n'-n, --no-clobberX'tty: link': (deprecated) silently skip existing files. See also --update
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-p'-pX'tty: link': same as --preserve=,mode,ownership,timestamps/
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-preserve'--preserve[=ATTR_LIST]X'tty: link': preserve the specified attributes
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-n-preserve'--no-preserve=ATTR_LISTX'tty: link': don't preserve the specified attributes
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-parents'--parentsX'tty: link': use full source file name under DIRECTORY
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-R'-R, -r, --recursiveX'tty: link': copy directories recursively
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-reflink'--reflink[=WHEN]X'tty: link': control clone/CoW copies. See below
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-remov-destination'--remove-destinationX'tty: link': remove each existing destination file before attempting to open it (contrast with --force)
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-sparse'--sparse=WHENX'tty: link': control creation of sparse files. See below
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-stri-trailin-slashes'--strip-trailing-slashesX'tty: link': remove any trailing slashes from each SOURCE argument
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-s'-s, --symbolic-linkX'tty: link': make symbolic links instead of copying
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-S'-S, --suffix=,SUFFIXX'tty: link'/: override the usual backup suffix
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-t'-t, --target-directory=,DIRECTORYX'tty: link'/: copy all SOURCE arguments into DIRECTORY
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-T'-T, --no-target-directoryX'tty: link': treat DEST as a normal file
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-update'--update[=UPDATE]X'tty: link': control which existing files are updated; UPDATE={all,none,none-fail,older(default)}
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-u'-uX'tty: link': equivalent to --update[=,older/]. See below
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-v'-v, --verboseX'tty: link': explain what is being done
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-x'-x, --one-file-systemX'tty: link': stay on this file system
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-Z'-ZX'tty: link': set SELinux security context of destination file to default type
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#c-context'--context[=CTX]X'tty: link': like -Z, or if CTX is specified then set the SELinux or SMACK security context to CTX
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/cp#c-help'--helpX'tty: link': display this help and exit
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/cp#c-version'--versionX'tty: link': output version information and exit

ATTR_LIST is a comma-separated list of attributes. Attributes are 'mode' for permissions (including any ACL and xattr permissions), 'ownership' for user and group, 'timestamps' for file timestamps, 'links' for hard links, 'context' for security context, 'xattr' for extended attributes, and 'all' for all attributes.

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.

UPDATE controls which existing files in the destination are replaced. 'all' is the default operation when an --update option is not specified, and results in all existing files in the destination being replaced. 'none' is like the --no-clobber option, in that no files in the destination are replaced, and skipped files do not induce a failure. 'none-fail' also ensures no files are replaced in the destination, but any skipped files are diagnosed and induce a failure. 'older' is the default operation when --update is specified, and results in files being replaced if they're older than the corresponding source file.

By default or with --reflink=,auto/, cp will try a lightweight copy, where the data blocks are copied only when modified, falling back to a standard copy if this is not possible. With --reflink[=,always/] cp will fail if CoW is not supported, while --reflink=,never/ ensures a standard copy is performed.

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.