term% cat index.txt CPIO(1) General Commands Manual CPIO(1)
NAME
cpio - copy file archives in and out
SYNOPSIS
cpio -o [ acBv ]
cpio -i [ BcdmrtuvfsSb6 ] [ patterns ]
cpio -p [ adlmruv ] directory
DESCRIPTION
Cpio -o (copy out) reads the standard input to obtain a list of path
names and copies those files onto the standard output together with
path name and status information.
Cpio -i (copy in) extracts files from the standard input which is as‐
sumed to be the product of a previous cpio -o. Only files with names
that match patterns are selected. Patterns are given in the name-gen‐
erating notation of sh(1). In patterns, meta-characters ?, ∗, and
[...] match the slash / character. Multiple patterns may be specified
and if no patterns are specified, the default for patterns is ∗ (i.e.,
select all files). The extracted files are conditionally created and
copied into the current directory tree based upon the options described
below.
Cpio -p (pass) reads the standard input to obtain a list of path names
of files that are conditionally created and copied into the destination
directory tree based upon the options described below.
The meanings of the available options are:
a Reset access times of input files after they have been copied.
B Input/output is to be blocked 5,120 bytes to the record (does
not apply to the pass option; meaningful only with data directed
to or from /dev/rmt?).
d Directories are to be created as needed.
c Write header information in ASCII character form for portabil‐
ity.
r Interactively rename files. If the user types a null line, the
file is skipped.
t Print a table of contents of the input. No files are created.
u Copy unconditionally (normally, an older file will not replace a
newer file with the same name).
v Verbose: causes a list of file names to be printed. When used
with the t option, the table of contents looks like the output
of an ls -l command (see ls(1)).
l Whenever possible, link files rather than copying them. Usable
only with the -p option.
m Retain previous file modification time. This option is ineffec‐
tive on directories that are being copied.
f Copy in all files except those in patterns.
s Swap bytes. Use only with the -i option.
S Swap halfwords. Use only with the -i option.
b Swap both bytes and halfwords. Use only with the -i option.
6 Process an old (i.e., UNIX Sixth Edition format) file. Only
useful with -i (copy in).
EXAMPLES
The first example below copies the contents of a directory into an ar‐
chive; the second duplicates a directory hierarchy:
ls ⎪ cpio -o >/dev/mt0
cd olddir
find . -depth -print ⎪ cpio -pdl newdir
The trivial case ``find . -depth -print ⎪ cpio -oB >/dev/rmt0'' can be
handled more efficiently by:
find . -cpio /dev/rmt0
SEE ALSO
ar(1), find(1), cpio(4).
BUGS
Path names are restricted to 128 characters.
If there are too many unique linked files, the program runs out of mem‐
ory to keep track of them and, thereafter, linking information is lost.
Only the super-user can copy special files.
The -B option does not work with certain magnetic tape drives.
CPIO(1)