# cpio - copy files to and from archives - man(1) - [phpMan] > **TLDR:** Copy files in and out of archives. > - Take a list of file names from `stdin` and add them onto an archive (copy-[o]ut) in cpio's binary forma: `echo "{{path/to/file1 path/to/file2 ...}}" | cpio {{-o|--create}} > {{archive.cpio}}` - Copy all files and directories in a directory and add them onto an archive (copy-[o]ut), in verbose mode: `find {{path/to/directory}} | cpio {{-ov|--create --verbose}} > {{archive.cpio}}` - Pick all files from an archive (copy-[i]n), generating directories where needed, in verbose mode: `cpio < {{archive.cpio}} {{-idv|--extract --make-directories --verbose}}` *Source: tldr-pages* --- [_CPIO_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/CPIO/1/markdown) GNU CPIO [_CPIO_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/CPIO/1/markdown) ## NAME cpio - copy files to and from archives ## SYNOPSIS **cpio **{**-o**|**--create**} [**-0acvABLV**] [**-C _**BYTES_] [**-H _**FORMAT_] [**-M _**MESSAGE_] [**-O **[[_USER_**@**]_HOST_**:**]_ARCHIVE_] [**-F **[[_USER_**@**]_HOST_**:**]_ARCHIVE_] [**--file=**[[_USER_**@**]_HOST_**:**]_ARCHIVE_] [**--format=_**FORMAT_] [**--message=_**MES‐_ _SAGE_] [**--null**] [**--reset-access-time**] [**--verbose**] [**--dot**] [**--append**] [**--block-size=_**blocks_] [**--dereference**] [**--io-size=_**BYTES_] [**--quiet**] [**--force-local**] [**--rsh-command=_**COMMAND_] **< _**name-_ _list_ [**> _**archive_] **cpio **{**-i**|**--extract**} [**-bcdfmnrtsuvBSV**] [**-C _**BYTES_] [**-E _**FILE_] [**-H _**FORMAT_] [**-M _**MESSAGE_] [**-R** [_USER_][**:.**][_GROUP_]] [**-I **[[_USER_**@**]_HOST_**:**]_ARCHIVE_] [**-F **[[_USER_**@**]_HOST_**:**]_ARCHIVE_] [**--file=**[[_USER_**@**]_HOST_**:**]_ARCHIVE_] [**--make-directories**] [**--nonmatching**] [**--preserve-modifica‐** **tion-time**] [**--numeric-uid-gid**] [**--rename**] [**--list**] [**--swap-bytes**] [**--swap**] [**--dot**] [**--uncon‐** **ditional**] [**--verbose**] [**--block-size=_**BLOCKS_] [**--swap-halfwords**] [**--io-size=_**BYTES_] [**--pat‐** **tern-file=_**FILE_] [**--format=_**FORMAT_] [**--owner=**[_USER_][**:.**][_GROUP_]] [**--no-preserve-owner**] [**--mes‐** **sage=_**MESSAGE_] [**--force-local**] [**--no-absolute-filenames**] [**--sparse**] [**--only-verify-crc**] [**--to-stdout**] [**--quiet**] [**--rsh-command=_**COMMAND_] [_pattern_...] [**< _**archive_] **cpio **{**-p**|**--pass-through**} [**-0adlmuvLV**] [**-R **[_USER_][**:.**][_GROUP_]] [**--null**] [**--reset-access-time**] [**--make-directories**] [**--link**] [**--quiet**] [**--preserve-modification-time] [--unconditional**] [**--verbose**] [**--dot**] [**--dereference**] [**--owner=**[_USER_][**:.**][_GROUP_]] [**--no-preserve-owner**] [**--sparse**] _destination-directory_ **< _**name-list_ **cpio **{**-?**|**--help**|**--usage**|**--version**} ## REPORTING BUGS Report cpio bugs to GNU cpio home page: <> General help using GNU software: <> Report cpio translation bugs to <> ## SEE ALSO [cpio(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/cpio/5/markdown) ## DESCRIPTION GNU **cpio **copies files between archives and directories. It supports the following archive formats: old binary cpio, old portable cpio, SVR4 cpio with and without checksum, HP cpio, and various tar formats. The operation mode is requested by one of the following options: ### -o --create Copy-out. Read a list of file names from the standard input and create on the stan‐ dard output (unless overridden by the **--file **option) an archive containing these files. ### -i --extract Copy-in. Read the archive from standard input (or from the file supplied with the **--file **option) and extract files from it, or (if the **-t **option is given) list its con‐ tents to the standard output. If one or more _pattern_s are supplied, read or list only files matching these patterns. The **-t **option alone implies **-i**. ### -p --pass-through Pass-through. Read a list of file names from the standard input and copy them to the specified directory. **-?**, **--help** Give a short help summary and exit. ### --usage Print a short usage message and exit. ### --version Print program version and exit. ## REPORTING BUGS Report cpio bugs to GNU cpio home page: <> General help using GNU software: <> Report cpio translation bugs to <> ## OPTIONS ### Operation modifiers valid in any mode **--block-size=_**BLOCK-SIZE_ Set the I/O block size to _BLOCK-SIZE_ * 512 bytes. ### -B ### -c -H odc ### -C --io-size=_ Set the I/O block size to the given _NUMBER_ of bytes. ### -D --directory=_ Change to directory _DIR_. ### --force-local Archive file is local, even if its name contains colons. ### -H --format=_ Use given archive **FORMAT**. Valid formats are (the number in parentheses gives maximum size for individual archive member): **bin **The obsolete binary format. (2147483647 bytes) **odc **The old (POSIX.1) portable format. (8589934591 bytes) **newc **The new (SVR4) portable format, which supports file systems having more than 65536 inodes. (4294967295 bytes) **crc **The new (SVR4) portable format with a checksum added. **tar **The old tar format. (8589934591 bytes) **ustar **The POSIX.1 tar format. Also recognizes GNU tar archives, which are similar but not identical. (8589934591 bytes) **hpbin **The obsolete binary format used by HPUX's cpio (which stores device files dif‐ ferently). **hpodc **The portable format used by HPUX's cpio (which stores device files differ‐ ently). ### -R --owner= In copy-in and copy-pass mode, set the ownership of all files created to the specified _USER_ and/or _GROUP_. In copy-out mode, store the supplied owner information in the archive. _USER_ and _GROUP_ are first looked up in the system user and group databases. If not found, **cpio **checks if they consist of decimal digits only and, if so, treats them as numeric UID and GID, correspondingly. To avoid the lookup and ensure that arguments are treated as numeric values, prefix them with a plus sign, e.g.: **-R +0:+0**. ### --quiet Do not print the number of blocks copied at the end of the run. **--rsh-command=_**COMMAND_ Use remote _COMMAND_ instead of **rsh**. ### -v --verbose Verbosely list the files processed. ### -V --dot Print a "**.**" for each file processed. ### -W --warning=_ Controls what warnings are displayed. The _FLAG_ is one of **none**, to disable all warn‐ ings, **all **to enable them, **truncate**, to enable warnings about field truncation, and **no-truncate**, to disable them. Multiple **-W **options accumulate. ### Operation modifiers valid in copy-in and copy-out modes ### -F --file= Use this _ARCHIVE-FILE_ instead of standard input (in copy-in mode) or standard output (in copy-out mode). Optional _USER_ and _HOST_ specify the user and host names in case of a remote archive. ### -M --message=_ Print _STRING_ when the end of a volume of the backup media is reached. ### Operation modifiers valid only in copy-in mode ### -b --swap Swap both halfwords of words and bytes of halfwords in the data. Equivalent to **-sS**. ### -f --nonmatching Only copy files that do not match any of the given patterns. ### -n --numeric-uid-gid In the verbose table of contents listing, show numeric UID and GID. ### -r --rename Interactively rename files. ### -s --swap-bytes Swap the bytes of each halfword in the files. ### -S --swap-halfwords Swap the halfwords of each word (4 bytes) in the files. ### --to-stdout Extract files to standard output. ### -E --pattern-file=_ Read additional patterns specifying filenames to extract or list from _FILE_. ### --only-verify-crc When reading a CRC format archive, only verify the CRC's of each file in the archive, without actually extracting the files. ### Operation modifiers valid only in copy-out mode ### -A --append Append to an existing archive. **--device-independent**, **--reproducible** Create reproducible archives. This is equivalent to **--ignore-devno --ignore-dirnlink** **--renumber-inodes**. ### --ignore-devno Store 0 in the device number field of each archive member, instead of the actual de‐ vice number. ### --ignore-dirnlink Store 2 in the _nlink_ field of each directory archive member, instead of the actual number of links. ### -O Use _ARCHIVE-NAME_ instead of standard output. Optional _USER_ and _HOST_ specify the user and host names in case of a remote archive. The output archive name can be specified either using this option, or using **-F** (**--file**), but not both. ### --renumber-inodes Renumber inodes when storing them in the archive. ### Operation modifiers valid only in copy-pass mode ### -l --link Link files instead of copying them, when possible. ### Operation modifiers valid in copy-in and copy-out modes ### --absolute-filenames Do not strip file system prefix components from the file names. This is the default. ### --no-absolute-filenames Create all files relative to the current directory. ### Operation modifiers valid in copy-out and copy-pass modes ### -0 --null Filenames in the list are delimited by null characters instead of newlines. ### -a --reset-access-time Reset the access times of files after reading them. ### -I Use _ARCHIVE-NAME_ instead of standard input. Optional _USER_ and _HOST_ specify the user and host names in case of a remote archive. The input archive name can be specified either using this option, or using **-F** (**--file**), but not both. ### -L --dereference Dereference symbolic links (copy the files that they point to instead of copying the links). ### Operation modifiers valid in copy-in and copy-pass modes ### -d --make-directories Create leading directories where needed. ### -m --preserve-modification-time Retain previous file modification times when creating files. ### --no-preserve-owner Do not change the ownership of the files. ### --sparse Write files with large blocks of zeros as sparse files. ### -u --unconditional Replace all files unconditionally. ## RETURN VALUE GNU **cpio **exits with code **0 **if it was able to successfully complete the requested operation. On errors, it exits with code **2**. ## SEE ALSO [**tar**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/tar/1/markdown), [**rmt**(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/rmt/8/markdown), [**mt**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mt/1/markdown). ## BUG REPORTS Report bugs to <>. ## COPYRIGHT Copyright © 2014--2023 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <> This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law. CPIO April 29, 2023 [_CPIO_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/CPIO/1/markdown)