CP(1) General Commands Manual CP(1) (NAME) cp - (SYNOPSIS) cp [OPTION]... [-T] SOURCE DEST cp [OPTION]... SOURCE... DIRECTORY cp [OPTION]... -t DIRECTORY SOURCE... (DESCRIPTION) SOURCE DEST SOURCE DIRECTORY. (OPTIONS) -t, --target-directory SOURCE target-directory -T, --no-target-directory DEST -i, --interactive -l, --link (hard-link) -n, --no-clobber -R, --recursive --strip-trailing-slashes (trailing slashes) SOURCE --debug -v -v, --verbose -s, --symbolic-link -f, --force ( -n ). Windows . --remove-destination ( --force). Windows . --backup[=] -b --backup -S, --suffix --update SOURCE : o none o all o older o none-fail -u --update --reflink[=] clone/CoW. : o auto o always o never --attributes-only (attributes) --preserve[=...] (: mode ownership ( ) timestamps) : context links xattr all : o mode o ownership o timestamps o context o links o xattr o all -p, --preserve-default-attributes --preserve=mode,ownership(unix only),timestamps --no-preserve[=...] : o mode o ownership o timestamps o context o links o xattr o all --parents DIRECTORY -P, --no-dereference SOURCE -L, --dereference SOURCE -H SOURCE -a, --archive -dR --preserve=all -d --no-dereference --preserve=links -x, --one-file-system --sparse (sparse files). : o never o auto o always -Z (security context) SELinux --context[=] -Z CTX SELinux SMACK CTX -g, --progress . : GNU coreutils . --copy-contents : -h, --help -V, --version (EXTRA) . cp -pu . -n --no-clobber . --preserve=links ( cp -au) . : - all: --update . - none: --no-clobber . - older: --update . '~' --suffix SIMPLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX . --backup VERSION_CONTROL . : none, off ( --backup ) numbered, t existing, nil simple, never (VERSION) v(uutils coreutils) 0.11.0 2026-09-01 CP(1)