- 1How to Create a File in Linux
- 2How to Rename a File in Linux
- 3How to Copy a File in Linux
- 4How to Move a File in Linux
- 5How to Delete a File in Linux
- 6How to Create a Directory in Linux
- 7How to Delete a Directory in Linux
- 8How to Copy Directories Recursively in Linux
- 9Delete Directories Recursively in Linux
- 10How to View Hidden Files in Linux
- 11How to Create a Hidden File in Linux
- 12How to Create a Hidden Directory in Linux
- 13How to Find Files in Linux Using find Command
- 14Find Files in Linux Using locate Command
- 15How to View File Contents Using cat in Linux
- 16How to View File Contents Using less in Linux
- 17View File Contents Using the more Command in Linux
- 18Compare Files Using diff Command in Linux
- 19Compare Files in Linux Using cmp Command
- 20Check File Type in Linux with file Command
- 21Create Symbolic Links with ln -s in Linux
- 22How to Archive Files Using tar Command in Linux
- 23Compress Files with gzip in Linux – Beginner Tutorial
- 24How to Compress Files Using bzip2 in Linux
- 25Compress Files in Linux Using zip Command
- 26Extract Compressed Files using tar in Linux
- 27Extract ZIP Files on Linux with unzip
- 28How to Extract .gz Files using gunzip in Linux
How to Copy Directories Recursively in Linux
How to Copy Directories Recursively in Linux
Hey there! Welcome back to ProgramGuru.org. In this beginner-friendly Linux tutorial, we’re going to learn a very useful command—how to copy entire directories and everything inside them using the terminal.
Let’s say you have a folder filled with files and maybe even subfolders, and you want to make a complete copy of it somewhere else. That’s exactly what we mean by "copying a directory recursively."
🔧 Step 1: Understand the cp -r
Command
In Linux, the cp
command is used to copy files. But by default, it doesn't copy directories. So we add the -r
option, which stands for "recursive."
cp -r [source_directory] [destination]
This tells Linux: "Please copy everything in the source directory, including its contents, subdirectories, and files, into the destination."
📁 Example 1: Copying a folder to your home directory
Let’s say we have a directory called project
in the current folder, and we want to copy it to our home directory.
cp -r project ~/
This will create a copy of project
inside your home folder.
📁 Example 2: Copy a folder and rename it
What if you want to copy the directory but give the copy a different name?
cp -r project project_backup
This creates a new folder named project_backup that’s an exact copy of project.
✅ Pro Tips
- Use
-v
(verbose) to see what files are being copied:
cp -rv project project_backup
sudo
.🧪 Try It Yourself
Create a test folder with some dummy files and try copying it around using different names and paths. Practice makes perfect!
📝 Recap
- Use
cp -r
to copy directories and their contents - You can rename the copy or move it to a different location
- Add
-v
to see what’s happening
That’s it! Now you know how to copy directories recursively in Linux. Stick with us on ProgramGuru.org for more beginner-friendly Linux tutorials.
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