Understanding the cp Command in Bash | by Javascript Jeep🚙💨

The cp command in Bash is used to copy files and directories from one location to another.

Copy Command Syntax and Explanation

The basic syntax of the cp command is:

cp [OPTION]... SOURCE... DESTINATION

• SOURCE: The file or directory you want to copy.
• DESTINATION: The location where you want to place the copied file or directory.
• OPTION: Optional flags that modify the behavior of the cp command.

Commonly used options include:

• -r or -R: Recursively copy directories and their contents.
• -i: Prompt before overwriting an existing file.
• -u: Copy only when the SOURCE file is newer than the DESTINATION file or when the DESTINATION file is missing.
• -v: Verbose mode, which shows the files being copied.
• -T: Treat the destination as a normal file. This is useful when you don’t want to create a new directory at the destination.
• -f: Force the copy operation by removing the destination file if it cannot be opened.

Copying Files Example