tldr/pages/common/cp.md

# cp

> Copy files and directories.
> More information: <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/html_node/cp-invocation.html>.

- Copy a file to another location:

`cp {{path/to/source_file.ext}} {{path/to/target_file.ext}}`

- Copy a file into another directory, keeping the filename:

`cp {{path/to/source_file.ext}} {{path/to/target_parent_directory}}`

- Recursively copy a directory's contents to another location (if the destination exists, the directory is copied inside it):

`cp -R {{path/to/source_directory}} {{path/to/target_directory}}`

- Copy a directory recursively, in verbose mode (shows files as they are copied):

`cp -vR {{path/to/source_directory}} {{path/to/target_directory}}`

- Copy text files to another location, in interactive mode (prompts user before overwriting):

`cp -i {{*.txt}} {{path/to/target_directory}}`

- Dereference symbolic links before copying:

`cp -L {{link}} {{path/to/target_directory}}`