1.\" Copyright (c) 1989, 1990 The Regents of the University of California. 2.\" All rights reserved. 3.\" 4.\" This code is derived from software contributed to Berkeley by 5.\" the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. 6.\" 7.\" %sccs.include.redist.roff% 8.\" 9.\" @(#)cp.1 6.21 (Berkeley) 07/27/92 10.\" 11.Dd 12.Dt CP 1 13.Os BSD 4 14.Sh NAME 15.Nm cp 16.Nd copy files 17.Sh SYNOPSIS 18.Nm cp 19.Op Fl HRfhip 20.Ar source_file target_file 21.Nm cp 22.Op Fl HRfhip 23.Ar source_file ... target_directory 24.Sh DESCRIPTION 25In the first synopsis form, the 26.Nm cp 27utility copies the contents of the 28.Ar source_file 29to the 30.Ar target_file . 31In the second synopsis form, 32the contents of each named 33.Ar source_file 34is copied to the destination 35.Ar target_directory . 36The names of the files themselves are not changed. 37If 38.Nm cp 39detects an attempt to copy a file to itself, the copy will fail. 40.Pp 41The following options are available: 42.Bl -tag -width flag 43.It Fl H 44When encountering a symbolic link on the command line, follow it. All other 45symbolic links encountered in the traversal are not followed. 46Provided for the 47.Fl R 48option which does not follow symbolic links by default. 49.It Fl R 50If 51.Ar source_file 52designates a directory, 53.Nm cp 54copies the directory and the entire subtree connected at that point. 55This option also causes symbolic links to be copied, rather than 56indirected through, and for 57.Nm cp 58to create special files rather than copying them as normal files. 59Created directories have the same mode as the corresponding source 60directory, unmodified by the process' umask. 61.It Fl f 62For each existing destination pathname, remove it and 63create a new file, without prompting for confirmation 64regardless of its permissions. 65(The 66.Fl i 67option is ignored if the 68.Fl f 69option is specified.) 70.It Fl h 71When encountering a symbolic link anywhere in the traversal, follow it. 72Provided for the 73.Fl R 74option which does not follow symbolic links by default. 75.It Fl i 76Causes 77.Nm cp 78to write a prompt to standard error before copying a file that would 79overwrite an existing file. 80If the response from the standard input begins with the character 81.Sq Li y , 82the file is copied if permissions allow the copy. 83.It Fl p 84Causes 85.Nm cp 86to preserve in the copy as many of the modification time, access time, 87file flags, file mode, user ID, and group ID as allowed by permissions. 88.Pp 89If the user ID and group ID cannot be preserved, no error message 90is displayed and the exit value is not altered. 91.Pp 92If the source file has its set user ID bit on and the user ID cannot 93be preserved, the set user ID bit is not preserved 94in the copy's permissions. 95If the source file has its set group ID bit on and the group ID cannot 96be preserved, the set group ID bit is not preserved 97in the copy's permissions. 98If the source file has both the set user ID and set group ID bits 99on and either the user ID or group ID cannot be preserved, neither 100the set user ID or set group ID bits are preserved in the copy's 101permissions. 102.El 103.Pp 104For each destination file that already exists, its contents are 105overwritten if permissions allow, but its mode, user ID, and group 106ID are unchanged. 107.Pp 108In the second synopsis form, 109.Ar target_directory 110must exist unless there is only one named 111.Ar source_file 112which is a directory and the 113.Fl R 114flag is specified. 115.Pp 116If the destination file does not exist, the mode of the source file is 117used as modified by the file mode creation mask 118.Pf ( Ic umask , 119see 120.Xr csh 1 ) . 121If the source file has its set user ID bit on, that bit is removed 122unless both the source file and the destination file are owned by the 123same user. 124If the source file has its set group ID bit on, that bit is removed 125unless both the source file and the destination file are in the same 126group and the user is a member of that group. 127If both the set user ID and set group ID bits are set, all of the above 128conditions must be fulfilled or both bits are removed. 129.Pp 130Appropriate permissions are required for file creation or overwriting. 131.Pp 132Symbolic links are always followed unless the 133.Fl R 134flag is set in which case symbolic links are not followed by default. 135However, the 136.Fl H 137or 138.Fl h 139flags (in conjuction with the 140.Fl R 141flag) cause symbolic link following as detailed above. 142.Pp 143.Nm Cp 144exits 0 on success, >0 if an error occurred. 145.Sh SEE ALSO 146.Xr mv 1 , 147.Xr rcp 1 , 148.Xr umask 2 , 149.Xr fts 3 , 150.Xr symlink 7 151.Sh HISTORY 152The 153.Nm cp 154command is expected to be 155.St -p1003.2 156compatible. 157