




CCCooommmmmmaaannnddd:::   cccppp,,, cccpppdddiiirrr --- fffiiillleee cccooopppyyy
SSSyyynnntttaaaxxx:::    cccppp [[[---pppiiifffsssmmmrrrRRRvvvxxx] _f_i_l_e_1 _f_i_l_e_2
           cccppp [[[---pppiiifffsssrrrRRRvvvxxx] _f_i_l_e ... _d_i_r_e_c_t_o_r_y
           cccpppdddiiirrr [[[---iiifffvvvxxx] _f_i_l_e_1 _f_i_l_e_2
FFFlllaaagggsss:::     ---ppp  Preserve full mode, uid, gid and times
           ---iii  Ask before removing existing file
           ---fff  Forced remove existing file
           ---sss  Make similar, copy some attributes
           ---mmm  Merge trees, disable the into-a-directory trick
           ---rrr  Copy directory trees with link structure, etc. intact
           ---RRR  Copy directory trees and treat special files as ordinary
           ---vvv  Display what cp is doing
           ---xxx  Do not cross device boundaries
EEExxxaaammmpppllleeesss:::  cp oldfile newfile       # Copy _o_l_d_f_i_l_e to _n_e_w_f_i_l_e
           cp -R dir1 dir2          # Copy a directory tree

     _C_p copies one file to another, or copies one or  more  files  to  a
directory.   Special  files  are  normally opened and read, unless ---rrr is
used.  ---rrr also copies the link  structure,  something  ---RRR  doesn't  care
about.   The  ---sss option differs from ---ppp that it only copies the times if
the target file already exists.  A normal copy only copies the  mode  of
the file, with the file creation mask applied.  Set-uid bits are cleared
if the owner cannot be set.  (The ---sss flag  does  not  patronize  you  by
clearing bits.  Alas ---sss and ---rrr are nonstandard.)

     _C_p_d_i_r is a convenient synonym for cccppp ---pppsssmmmrrr to make a  precise  copy
of a directory tree.































                                                                        

