+.\" %sccs.include.redist.roff%
+.\"
+.\" @(#)cp.1 8.3 (Berkeley) %G%
+.\"
+.Dd
+.Dt CP 1
+.Os BSD 4
+.Sh NAME
+.Nm cp
+.Nd copy files
+.Sh SYNOPSIS
+.Nm cp
+.Oo
+.Fl R
+.Op Fl H | Fl L | Fl P
+.Oc
+.Op Fl fip
+.Ar source_file target_file
+.Nm cp
+.Oo
+.Fl R
+.Op Fl H | Fl L | Fl P
+.Oc
+.Op Fl fip
+.Ar source_file ... target_directory
+.Sh DESCRIPTION
+In the first synopsis form, the
+.Nm cp
+utility copies the contents of the
+.Ar source_file
+to the
+.Ar target_file .
+In the second synopsis form,
+the contents of each named
+.Ar source_file
+is copied to the destination
+.Ar target_directory .
+The names of the files themselves are not changed.
+If
+.Nm cp
+detects an attempt to copy a file to itself, the copy will fail.
+.Pp
+The following options are available:
+.Bl -tag -width flag
+.It Fl H
+If the
+.Fl R
+option is specified, symbolic links on the command line are followed.
+(Symbolic links encountered in the tree traversal are not followed.)
+.It Fl L
+If the
+.Fl R
+option is specified, all symbolic links are followed.
+.It Fl P
+If the
+.Fl R
+option is specified, no symbolic links are followed.
+.It Fl R
+If
+.Ar source_file
+designates a directory,
+.Nm cp
+copies the directory and the entire subtree connected at that point.
+This option also causes symbolic links to be copied, rather than
+indirected through, and for
+.Nm cp
+to create special files rather than copying them as normal files.
+Created directories have the same mode as the corresponding source
+directory, unmodified by the process' umask.
+.It Fl f
+For each existing destination pathname, remove it and
+create a new file, without prompting for confirmation
+regardless of its permissions.
+(The
+.Fl i
+option is ignored if the
+.Fl f
+option is specified.)
+.It Fl i
+Causes
+.Nm cp
+to write a prompt to the standard error output before copying a file
+that would overwrite an existing file.
+If the response from the standard input begins with the character
+.Sq Li y ,
+the file copy is attempted.
+.It Fl p
+Causes
+.Nm cp
+to preserve in the copy as many of the modification time, access time,
+file flags, file mode, user ID, and group ID as allowed by permissions.
+.Pp
+If the user ID and group ID cannot be preserved, no error message
+is displayed and the exit value is not altered.
+.Pp
+If the source file has its set user ID bit on and the user ID cannot
+be preserved, the set user ID bit is not preserved
+in the copy's permissions.
+If the source file has its set group ID bit on and the group ID cannot
+be preserved, the set group ID bit is not preserved
+in the copy's permissions.
+If the source file has both its set user ID and set group ID bits on,
+and either the user ID or group ID cannot be preserved, neither
+the set user ID or set group ID bits are preserved in the copy's
+permissions.
+.El
+.Pp
+For each destination file that already exists, its contents are
+overwritten if permissions allow, but its mode, user ID, and group
+ID are unchanged.
+.Pp
+In the second synopsis form,
+.Ar target_directory
+must exist unless there is only one named
+.Ar source_file
+which is a directory and the
+.Fl R
+flag is specified.
+.Pp
+If the destination file does not exist, the mode of the source file is
+used as modified by the file mode creation mask
+.Pf ( Ic umask ,
+see
+.Xr csh 1 ) .
+If the source file has its set user ID bit on, that bit is removed
+unless both the source file and the destination file are owned by the
+same user.
+If the source file has its set group ID bit on, that bit is removed
+unless both the source file and the destination file are in the same
+group and the user is a member of that group.
+If both the set user ID and set group ID bits are set, all of the above
+conditions must be fulfilled or both bits are removed.
+.Pp
+Appropriate permissions are required for file creation or overwriting.
+.Pp
+Symbolic links are always followed unless the
+.Fl R
+flag is set, in which case symbolic links are not followed, by default.
+The
+.Fl H
+or
+.Fl L
+flags (in conjunction with the
+.Fl R
+flag) cause symbolic links to be followed as described above.
+The
+.Fl H ,
+.Fl L
+and
+.Fl P
+options are ignored unless the
+.Fl R
+option is specified.
+In addition, these options override each other and the
+command's actions are determined by the last one specified.
+.Pp
+.Nm Cp
+exits 0 on success, >0 if an error occurred.
+.Sh COMPATIBILITY
+Historic versions of the
+.Nm cp
+utility had a
+.Fl r
+option.
+This implementation supports that option, however, its use is strongly
+discouraged, as it does not correctly copy special files, symbolic links
+or fifo's.
+.Sh SEE ALSO
+.Xr mv 1 ,
+.Xr rcp 1 ,
+.Xr umask 2 ,
+.Xr fts 3 ,
+.Xr symlink 7
+.Sh HISTORY
+The
+.Nm cp
+command is expected to be
+.St -p1003.2
+compatible.
projects / unix-history / blobdiff