Linux Pocket Guide, 2nd Edition

Name

cp — stdin  stdout  - file  -- opt  --help  --version

Synopsis

cp [options] files (file | directory)

The cp command normally copies a file:

$ cp file file2

or copies multiple files into a directory:

$ cp file1 file2 file3 file4 destination_directory

Using the -a option, you can also recursively copy directories.

Useful options

-p	Copy not only the file contents, but also the file’s permissions, timestamps and, if you have sufficient permission to do so, its owner and group. (Normally the copies will be owned by you, timestamped now, with permissions set by applying your umask to the original permissions.)
-a	Copy a directory hierarchy recursively, preserving all file attributes and links.
-r	Copy a directory hierarchy recursively. This option does not preserve the files’ attributes such as permissions and timestamps. It does preserve symbolic links.
-i	Interactive mode. Ask before overwriting destination files.
-f	Force the copy. If a destination file exists, overwrite it unconditionally.