•Arnošt Havelka
Copying Files and Directories
Master cp to copy files and recursive directory structures.
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The cp command copies files and directories. It's essential for backing up and duplicating your work.
Copy a Single File
Use cp source destination to copy a file.
Try the command
Copy a file!
Build the command
cpsourcedestination
cpCopy file - duplicates a file to a new location or name.
Terminal
C:\Users\User>cp source destination
Duplicate a file:
Command Prompt
original.txt
C:\Users\User>ls
Recursive Copy: cp -r
The -r flag copies entire directories with all their contents.
Try the command
Copy entire directories!
Build the command
cp-rsource_dirdest_dir
-rRecursive - copies directories and all files within them.
Terminal
C:\Users\User>cp -r source_dir dest_dir
Duplicate folder structures:
Command Prompt
project/
C:\Users\User>ls
Copy to Directory
Copy a file into an existing directory by using the directory as the destination.
Try the command
Copy file into a folder!
Build the command
cpfile.txtdirectory/
directory/Target directory - keeps original filename inside the directory.
Terminal
C:\Users\User>cp file.txt directory/
Place file in folder:
Command Prompt
file.txt
Archive/
ls Archive/
C:\Users\User>ls
Knowledge Check
1 / 3What does cp do?
References
These documentation links provide authoritative details for the commands used in this article.