cp

Copy one or more files to another location.

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

Syntax
      cp [options]... Source Dest
      cp [options]... Source... Directory

Key

  -a, --archive                same as -dpR

  -b, --backup                 Make backup before removal.
                               If the copy will overwrite a file in the destination, then
                               the original file will be backed up as 'filename~' before
                               being overwritten.

  -d, --no-dereference         preserve links

  -f, --force                  remove existing destinations, never prompt

  -i, --interactive            prompt before overwrite

  -l, --link                   link files instead of copying

  -p, --preserve               preserve file attributes if possible

  -P, --parents                append source path to DIRECTORY

  -r                           copy recursively, non-directories as files

      --sparse=WHEN            control creation of sparse files

  -R, --recursive              copy directories recursively

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

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

  -u, --update                 copy only when the SOURCE file is newer
                                 than the destination file or when the
                                 destination file is missing

  -v, --verbose                explain what is being done

  -V, --version-control=WORD   override the usual version control

  -x, --one-file-system        stay on this file system
      --help                   display this help and exit
      --version                output version information and exit.

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.

The backup suffix is ~, unless set with SIMPLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX.

The version control can be set with VERSION_CONTROL, values are:

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.

Examples

Copy demofile to demofile.bak :

$ cp demofile demofile.bak
or
$ cp demofile{,.bak}

With variables make sure you quote everything:

$ cp "$SOURCE" "$DEST"

Copy demofile.txt to demofile.bak :

$ FILE="demofile.txt"
$ cp "$FILE" "${FILE%.*}.bak"

Copy floppy to home directory:

$ cp -f /mnt/floppy/* ~

Copy all .jpg files to the CA folder, and for those with "New York" in the filename, replace with "California_"
the "${f/New York/California_}" is an application of bash parameter expansion
$ mkdir CA
$ for f in *.jpg; do cp "$f" "CA/${f/New York/California_}"; done

“Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it” ~ Moses Hadas

Related linux commands:

dd - Data Duplicator - convert and copy a file (use for RAW storage.)
cpio - Copy files to and from archives.
install - Copy files and set attributes.
mv - Move files.
rsync - Remote file copy (Synchronize file trees).
tar - store or extract files to an archive (allows symbolic links to be copied as links).
Equivalent Windows command: COPY - Copy one or more files to another location.