man.postnix Miscellaneous man pages of Plan 9 related material

     CP(1)                                                       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 existing directory.  In the second form the com-
          mands 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 `cp f1 f2 dir' is equivalent to `cp
          f1 dir/f1; cp f2 dir/f2'.

          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 direc-
          tory, 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 directory.

     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.

     Page 1                       Plan 9            (printed 11/23/25)