Scribd
Upload
6 views3 pages

CP MV Command Examples

The document provides examples of using the 'cp' command for copying files with various options, such as backup preservation, updating only newer files, and verbose confirmation. It also includes examples of the 'mv' command for renaming files, including batch renaming with sequential numbers, converting filenames to lowercase, swapping filenames, and adding prefixes to filenames. These examples illustrate practical use cases for managing files in a Unix-like environment.

Uploaded by

DEDEEPTHI MANNAVA
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
6 views3 pages

CP MV Command Examples

The document provides examples of using the 'cp' command for copying files with various options, such as backup preservation, updating only newer files, and verbose confirmation. It also includes examples of the 'mv' command for renaming files, including batch renaming with sequential numbers, converting filenames to lowercase, swapping filenames, and adding prefixes to filenames. These examples illustrate practical use cases for managing files in a Unix-like environment.

Uploaded by

DEDEEPTHI MANNAVA
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

Copy (cp) Examples

Example 1: Copy with Backup Preservation

cp --backup=t ~/Documents/report.txt ~/Backups/

Explanation:
- --backup=t ensures that if report.txt already exists in
Backups/, it will be renamed with a timestamp (report.txt.~1~)
instead of being overwritten.
- Useful when you want to keep incremental backups rather than
losing previous versions.

Example 2: Copy Only Newer Files (Update)

cp -u ~/Downloads/*.pdf ~/Documents/Books/

Explanation:
- -u (update) copies only if the source file is newer than the
destination file or if the file doesn’t exist in the destination.
- Prevents unnecessary copying of unchanged files.

Example 3: Copy with Verbose and Interactive Confirmation

cp -iv ~/Pictures/*.jpg ~/Vacation_Photos/

Explanation:
- -i prompts before overwriting any existing files.
- -v (verbose) shows which files are being copied in real-time.
- Useful when you want to avoid accidental overwrites and track
progress.
Renaming (mv) Examples

Example 1: Batch Rename Files with Sequential Numbers

count=1
for file in *.log; do
mv "$file" "log_$(printf "%03d" $count).txt"
((count++))
done

Explanation:
- Renames all .log files to log_001.txt, log_002.txt, etc.
- printf "%03d" ensures 3-digit numbering (e.g., 001 instead of
1).
- Useful for organizing log files systematically.

Example 2: Lowercase All Filenames

for file in *; do
mv "$file" "$(echo $file | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]')"
done

Explanation:
- tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]' converts uppercase letters to
lowercase.
- Example: File.TXT → file.txt.
- Helps standardize filenames for scripting.

Example 3: Swap Filenames (Without Temporary File)

mv file1.txt file1.tmp && mv file2.txt file1.txt && mv file1.tmp


file2.txt

Explanation:
- Temporarily renames file1.txt to file1.tmp.
- Moves file2.txt to file1.txt.
- Finally, renames file1.tmp to file2.txt.
- Useful when you need to swap two files quickly.

Example 4: Add Prefix to Filenames

for file in *.csv; do


mv "$file" "data_$file"
done

Explanation:
- Adds data_ prefix to all .csv files (e.g., sales.csv →
data_sales.csv).
- Helps categorize files in a directory.

You might also like