# man > cp

> **TLDR:** Copy files and directories.
>
- Copy a file to another location:
  `cp {{path/to/source_file}} {{path/to/target_file}}`
- Copy a file into another directory, keeping the filename:
  `cp {{path/to/source_file}} {{path/to/target_parent_directory}}`
- Recursively copy a directory's contents to another location (if the destination exists, the directory is copied inside it):
  `cp {{-r|--recursive}} {{path/to/source_directory}} {{path/to/target_directory}}`
- Copy a directory recursively, in verbose mode (shows files as they are copied):
  `cp {{-vr|--verbose --recursive}} {{path/to/source_directory}} {{path/to/target_directory}}`
- Copy multiple files at once to a directory:
  `cp {{-t|--target-directory}} {{path/to/destination_directory}} {{path/to/file1 path/to/file2 ...}}`
- Copy all files with a specific extension to another location, in interactive mode (prompts user before overwriting):
  `cp {{-i|--interactive}} {{*.ext}} {{path/to/target_directory}}`
- Follow symbolic links before copying:
  `cp {{-L|--dereference}} {{link}} {{path/to/target_directory}}`
- Use the full path of source files, creating any missing intermediate directories when copying:
  `cp --parents {{source/path/to/file}} {{path/to/target_file}}`

*Source: tldr-pages*

---

[_CP_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/CP/1/markdown)                                       User Commands                                      [_CP_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/CP/1/markdown)

## 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_

### --attributes-only
              don't copy the file data, just the attributes

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

### -b      --backup 

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

### -d      --no-dereference --preserve

### --debug
              explain how a file is copied.  Implies **-v**

### -f --force
              if an existing destination file cannot be opened, remove it and try again (this option
              is ignored when the **-n **option is also used)

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

### -H     

### -l --link
              hard link files instead of copying

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

### -n --no-clobber
              do  not  overwrite an existing file and do not fail (overrides a **-u **or previous **-i **op‐
              tion). See also **--update**; equivalent to **--update**=_none_.

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

### -p      --preserve

       **--preserve**[=_ATTR_LIST_]
              preserve the specified attributes

       **--no-preserve**=_ATTR_LIST_
              don't preserve the specified attributes

### --parents
              use full source file name under DIRECTORY

### -R -r --recursive
              copy directories recursively

       **--reflink**[=_WHEN_]
              control clone/CoW copies. See below

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

       **--sparse**=_WHEN_
              control creation of sparse files. See below

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

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

### -S --suffix
              override the usual backup suffix

### -t --target-directory
              copy all SOURCE arguments into DIRECTORY

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

       **--update**[=_UPDATE_]
              control which existing files are updated; UPDATE={all,none,older(default)}.  See below

### -u      --update

### -v --verbose
              explain what is being done

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

### -Z     

       **--context**[=_CTX_]
              like **-Z**, or if CTX is specified then set the SELinux or SMACK security context to CTX

       **--help **display this help and exit

### --version
              output version information and exit

       ATTR_LIST is a comma-separated list of attributes. Attributes are 'mode' for permissions (in‐
       cluding 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 at‐
       tributes, 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 similar to the **--no-clobber **option, in that no files
       in the destination are replaced, but also skipped files do not 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.

       When **--reflink**[=_always_] is specified, perform a lightweight copy, where the data  blocks  are
       copied  only  when modified.  If this is not possible the copy fails, or if **--reflink**=_auto_ is
       specified, fall back to a standard copy.  Use **--reflink**=_never_ to ensure a  standard  copy  is
       performed.

       The backup suffix is '~', unless set with **--suffix **or SIMPLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX.  The version con‐
       trol  method  may be selected via the **--backup **option or through the VERSION_CONTROL environ‐
       ment 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
       GNU coreutils online help: <<https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>>
       Report any translation bugs to <<https://translationproject.org/team/>>

## COPYRIGHT
       Copyright  ©  2023 Free Software Foundation, Inc.  License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later
       <<https://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
       [**install**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/install/1/markdown)

       Full documentation <<https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/cp>>
       or available locally via: info '(coreutils) cp invocation'

GNU coreutils 9.4                           January 2026                                       [_CP_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/CP/1/markdown)