$home/manuals/plan9_2nd/1/cp

CP(1)                       General Commands Manual                      CP(1)



NAME
       cp, mv  - copy, move files

SYNOPSIS
       cp file1 file2
       cp file ... directory

       mv file1 file2
       mv file ... directory

DESCRIPTION
       In the first form file1 is any name and file2 is any name except an ex‐
       isting directory.  In the second form the commands copy or move one  or
       more files into a directory under their original file names, as if by a
       sequence of commands in the first form.  Thus is equivalent to

       Cp copies the contents of plain file1 to file2.  The mode and owner  of
       file2  are  preserved  if  it already exists; the mode of file1 is used
       otherwise.

       Mv moves file1 to file2.  If the files are in the same directory, file1
       is  just renamed; otherwise mv behaves like cp followed by rm.  Mv will
       rename directories, but it refuses to move a directory into another di‐
       rectory.

SOURCE
       /sys/src/cmd/cp.c
       /sys/src/cmd/mv.c

SEE ALSO
       cat(1), stat(2)

DIAGNOSTICS
       Cp and mv refuse to copy or move files onto themselves.



                                                                         CP(1)