CP(1)				 User Commands				 CP(1)

NAME
       cp - copy files and directories

SYNOPSIS
       cp [OPTION]... [-T] SOURCE DEST
       cp [OPTION]... SOURCE... DIRECTORY
       cp [OPTION]... -t DIRECTORY SOURCE...

DESCRIPTION
       Copy SOURCE to DEST, or multiple SOURCE(s) to DIRECTORY.

       Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options
       too.

       -a, --archive
	      same as -dR --preserve=all

       --attributes-only
	      don't copy the file data, just the attributes

       --backup[=CONTROL]
	      make a backup of each existing destination file

       -b     like --backup but does not accept an argument

       --copy-contents
	      copy contents of special files when recursive

       -d     same as --no-dereference --preserve=links

       --debug
	      explain how a file is copied.  Implies -v

       -f, --force
	      if an existing destination file cannot be opened, remove it and
	      try again (this option is ignored when the -n option is also
	      used)

       -i, --interactive
	      prompt before overwrite (overrides a previous -n option)

       -H     follow command-line symbolic links in SOURCE

       -l, --link
	      hard link files instead of copying

       -L, --dereference
	      always follow symbolic links in SOURCE

       -n, --no-clobber
	      (deprecated) silently skip existing files.  See also --update

       -P, --no-dereference
	      never follow symbolic links in SOURCE

       -p     same as --preserve=mode,ownership,timestamps

       --preserve[=ATTR_LIST]
	      preserve the specified attributes

       --no-preserve=ATTR_LIST
	      don't preserve the specified attributes

       --parents
	      use full source file name under DIRECTORY

       -R, -r, --recursive
	      copy directories recursively

       --reflink[=WHEN]
	      control clone/CoW copies. See below

       --remove-destination
	      remove each existing destination file before attempting to open
	      it (contrast with --force)

       --sparse=WHEN
	      control creation of sparse files. See below

       --strip-trailing-slashes
	      remove any trailing slashes from each SOURCE argument

       -s, --symbolic-link
	      make symbolic links instead of copying

       -S, --suffix=SUFFIX
	      override the usual backup suffix

       -t, --target-directory=DIRECTORY
	      copy all SOURCE arguments into DIRECTORY

       -T, --no-target-directory
	      treat DEST as a normal file

       --update[=UPDATE]
	      control which existing files are updated;
	      UPDATE={all,none,none-fail,older(default)}

       -u     equivalent to --update[=older].  See below

       -v, --verbose
	      explain what is being done

       --keep-directory-symlink
	      follow existing symlinks to directories

       -x, --one-file-system
	      stay on this file system

       -Z     set SELinux security context of destination file to default type

       --context[=CTX]
	      like -Z, or if CTX is specified then set the SELinux or SMACK
	      security context to CTX

       --help display this help and exit

       --version
	      output version information and exit

       ATTR_LIST is a comma-separated list of attributes. Attributes are
       'mode' for permissions (including any ACL and xattr permissions),
       'ownership' for user and group, 'timestamps' for file timestamps,
       'links' for hard links, 'context' for security context, 'xattr' for
       extended attributes, and 'all' for all attributes.

       By default, sparse SOURCE files are detected by a crude heuristic and
       the corresponding DEST file is made sparse as well.  That is the
       behavior selected by --sparse=auto.  Specify --sparse=always to create
       a sparse DEST file whenever the SOURCE file contains a long enough
       sequence of zero bytes.	Use --sparse=never to inhibit creation of
       sparse files.

       UPDATE controls which existing files in the destination are replaced.
       'all' is the default operation when an --update option is not
       specified, and results in all existing files in the destination being
       replaced.  'none' is like the --no-clobber option, in that no files in
       the destination are replaced, and skipped files do not induce a
       failure.	 'none-fail' also ensures no files are replaced in the
       destination, but any skipped files are diagnosed and induce a failure.
       'older' is the default operation when --update is specified, and
       results in files being replaced if they're older than the corresponding
       source file.

       By default or with --reflink=auto, cp will try a lightweight copy,
       where the data blocks are copied only when modified, falling back to a
       standard copy if this is not possible.  With --reflink[=always] cp will
       fail if CoW is not supported, while --reflink=never ensures a standard
       copy is performed.

       The backup suffix is '~', unless set with --suffix or
       SIMPLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX.  The version control method may be selected via
       the --backup option or through the VERSION_CONTROL environment
       variable.  Here are the values:

       none, off
	      never make backups (even if --backup is given)

       numbered, t
	      make numbered backups

       existing, nil
	      numbered if numbered backups exist, simple otherwise

       simple, never
	      always make simple backups

       As a special case, cp makes a backup of SOURCE when the force and
       backup options are given and SOURCE and DEST are the same name for an
       existing, regular file.

AUTHOR
       Written by Torbjorn Granlund, David MacKenzie, and Jim Meyering.

REPORTING BUGS
       Report bugs to: bug-coreutils@gnu.org
       GNU coreutils home page: <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>
       General help using GNU software: <https://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>
       Report any translation bugs to <https://translationproject.org/team/>

COPYRIGHT
       Copyright © 2025 Free Software Foundation, Inc.	License GPLv3+: GNU
       GPL version 3 or later <https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
       This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
       There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

SEE ALSO
       install(1)

       Full documentation <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/cp>
       or available locally via: info '(coreutils) cp invocation'

GNU coreutils 9.8		September 2025				 CP(1)