When you start working with Linux daily, you’ll quickly find yourself moving, copying, and organizing files.

A couple of commands you'll absolutely want to get comfortable with are cp (copy) and mv (move). They're simple, powerful, and likely to pop up in almost every Linux project.

👋 Hello again: Just like my previous posts Linux Directories Guide and RHEL 9 VM Setup, I'm learning by doing and sharing the notes with you! Think of this article as both a guide and a cheat sheet you can bookmark.

Let’s dig into it!

📚 Table of Contents

📋 cp — Copy Files and Directories

The cp command copies files and folders from one place to another.

Syntax:

cp [options] source destination

Examples:

  • Copy a single file: 
cp notes.txt notes_backup.txt
  • Copy multiple files into a folder: 
cp file1.txt file2.txt /home/user/backup/
  • Copy a whole directory (needs -r): 
cp -r my_folder/ /home/user/backup/

⚙️ Common cp Options

Option What it Does
-r or --recursive Copy directories and their contents
-u Only copy if the source file is newer
-i Ask before overwriting files
-v Show progress (verbose)
-p Preserve file attributes like timestamps and permissions

Example with multiple options:

cp -ruv source_folder/ destination_folder/

🚚 mv — Move or Rename Files and Directories

The mv command moves files, folders, and can also rename them!

Syntax:

mv [options] source destination

Examples:

  • Move a file to another folder: 
mv report.docx /home/user/Documents/
  • Rename a file: 
mv oldname.txt newname.txt
  • Move a whole directory: 
mv project/ /home/user/archives/

⚙️ Common mv Options

Option What it Does
-i Ask before overwriting
-u Only move if the source is newer
-v Show each move step (verbose)
-n Do not overwrite any existing files

🔗 Related Commands to Research

Sometimes cp and mv aren't enough. Here are a few closely related tools:

  • rsync — Advanced syncing and copying. 
rsync -avh source/ destination/
  • install — Like cp, but lets you set permissions during the copy. 
install -m 755 script.sh /usr/local/bin/
  • rename — Mass rename files based on a pattern. 
rename 's/.txt/.bak/' *.txt

(This renames all .txt files to .bak.)

🧠 Key Takeaways

  • Use cp when you want a copy of a file or folder.
  • Use mv when you want to move or rename something.
  • Add -i or -n to protect yourself from overwriting files.
  • For larger or smarter transfers, check out rsync.
  • Always double-check your source and destination paths!

📚 Related Reading

If you enjoyed this, you might also like:

Thanks for reading! 🚀

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