Purpose of cp -x (stay on file system)?
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If I wanted to stay on the same file system, couldn't I just specify an output path for the same file system?
Or is it to prevent accidentally leaving the current file system?
command-line files filesystems cp data
asked Nov 28 at 13:02
neverMind9
497113
add a comment |
up vote
24
down vote
favorite
If I wanted to stay on the same file system, couldn't I just specify an output path for the same file system?
Or is it to prevent accidentally leaving the current file system?
command-line files filesystems cp data
asked Nov 28 at 13:02
neverMind9
497113
1
-x in a different context: unix.stackexchange.com/a/358331/30851 but same for cp: -x skips things, if you are migrating filesystems and would like it to be a complete copy, consider mounting in a way that gives you the full picture.
– frostschutz
Nov 28 at 13:51
1
You could ask the same about many flags, eg-i: "why not just specify a destination that doesn't exist"?
– JigglyNaga
Nov 28 at 14:58
1
@JigglyNaga I was thinking that as well. But -x was not phrased well in the documentation and far less obvious.
– neverMind9
Nov 28 at 18:53
add a comment |
up vote
24
down vote
favorite
up vote
24
down vote
favorite
If I wanted to stay on the same file system, couldn't I just specify an output path for the same file system?
Or is it to prevent accidentally leaving the current file system?
command-line files filesystems cp data
asked Nov 28 at 13:02
neverMind9
497113
If I wanted to stay on the same file system, couldn't I just specify an output path for the same file system?
Or is it to prevent accidentally leaving the current file system?
command-line files filesystems cp data
command-line files filesystems cp data
asked Nov 28 at 13:02
neverMind9
497113
asked Nov 28 at 13:02
neverMind9
497113
asked Nov 28 at 13:02
neverMind9
497113
asked Nov 28 at 13:02
neverMind9
497113
asked Nov 28 at 13:02
neverMind9
497113
497113
1
-x in a different context: unix.stackexchange.com/a/358331/30851 but same for cp: -x skips things, if you are migrating filesystems and would like it to be a complete copy, consider mounting in a way that gives you the full picture.
– frostschutz
Nov 28 at 13:51
1
You could ask the same about many flags, eg-i: "why not just specify a destination that doesn't exist"?
– JigglyNaga
Nov 28 at 14:58
1
@JigglyNaga I was thinking that as well. But -x was not phrased well in the documentation and far less obvious.
– neverMind9
Nov 28 at 18:53
add a comment |
1
-x in a different context: unix.stackexchange.com/a/358331/30851 but same for cp: -x skips things, if you are migrating filesystems and would like it to be a complete copy, consider mounting in a way that gives you the full picture.
– frostschutz
Nov 28 at 13:51
1
You could ask the same about many flags, eg-i: "why not just specify a destination that doesn't exist"?
– JigglyNaga
Nov 28 at 14:58
1
@JigglyNaga I was thinking that as well. But -x was not phrased well in the documentation and far less obvious.
– neverMind9
Nov 28 at 18:53
1
1
-x in a different context: unix.stackexchange.com/a/358331/30851 but same for cp: -x skips things, if you are migrating filesystems and would like it to be a complete copy, consider mounting in a way that gives you the full picture.
– frostschutz
Nov 28 at 13:51
-x in a different context: unix.stackexchange.com/a/358331/30851 but same for cp: -x skips things, if you are migrating filesystems and would like it to be a complete copy, consider mounting in a way that gives you the full picture.
– frostschutz
Nov 28 at 13:51
1
1
You could ask the same about many flags, eg
-i: "why not just specify a destination that doesn't exist"?– JigglyNaga
Nov 28 at 14:58
You could ask the same about many flags, eg
-i: "why not just specify a destination that doesn't exist"?– JigglyNaga
Nov 28 at 14:58
1
1
@JigglyNaga I was thinking that as well. But -x was not phrased well in the documentation and far less obvious.
– neverMind9
Nov 28 at 18:53
@JigglyNaga I was thinking that as well. But -x was not phrased well in the documentation and far less obvious.
– neverMind9
Nov 28 at 18:53
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
up vote
57
down vote
accepted
It limits where files are copied from, not where they’re copied to. It’s useful with recursive copies, to control how cp descends into subdirectories. Thus
cp -xr / blah
will only copy the root file system, not any of the other file systems mounted.
See the cp -x documentation (although its distinction is subtle).
answered Nov 28 at 13:06
Stephen Kitt
159k24354430
3
Oh yes, you might not want to copy network shares under /mnt. Nor a remote RCS repository mounted under your home drive.
– mckenzm
Nov 29 at 4:23
1
@mckenzm Also because/mntis only a human convention sometimes enforced by a distro's setup but not a requirement of the OS. I sometimes have network filesystems mounted under/var/somewebsite/www/sessionsto implement load balancing web servers
– slebetman
2 days ago
Indeed, this kind of flag prevents accidentally copying huge network shares or removable media that you forgot you had mounted. And you don't need to give--excludeoptions to manually block each of them. Very useful with rsync.
– Lassi
2 days ago
3
It also avoids copying file systems such as/dev,/proc,/sysetc. which you typically don’t want to read “en masse”.
– Stephen Kitt
2 days ago
add a comment |
up vote
25
down vote
The -x flag to cp is a GNU extension. When copying a single file, this option will have no effect, but when copying a whole file hierarchy, the -x option prevents the copying of files and directories that do not live on the same filesystem as the original source.
For example, on a filesystem with mount points at /usr and /usr/local, using cp -xR /usr /some-dest would not copy the hierarchy under /usr/local.
There are other utilities with an -x option with similar semantics, such as du and find (the flag is called -xdev for find), and rsync.
edited Nov 29 at 9:05
Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy
8,12212151
answered Nov 28 at 13:08
Kusalananda
118k16223361
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
57
down vote
accepted
It limits where files are copied from, not where they’re copied to. It’s useful with recursive copies, to control how cp descends into subdirectories. Thus
cp -xr / blah
will only copy the root file system, not any of the other file systems mounted.
See the cp -x documentation (although its distinction is subtle).
answered Nov 28 at 13:06
Stephen Kitt
159k24354430
3
Oh yes, you might not want to copy network shares under /mnt. Nor a remote RCS repository mounted under your home drive.
– mckenzm
Nov 29 at 4:23
1
@mckenzm Also because/mntis only a human convention sometimes enforced by a distro's setup but not a requirement of the OS. I sometimes have network filesystems mounted under/var/somewebsite/www/sessionsto implement load balancing web servers
– slebetman
2 days ago
Indeed, this kind of flag prevents accidentally copying huge network shares or removable media that you forgot you had mounted. And you don't need to give--excludeoptions to manually block each of them. Very useful with rsync.
– Lassi
2 days ago
3
It also avoids copying file systems such as/dev,/proc,/sysetc. which you typically don’t want to read “en masse”.
– Stephen Kitt
2 days ago
add a comment |
up vote
57
down vote
accepted
It limits where files are copied from, not where they’re copied to. It’s useful with recursive copies, to control how cp descends into subdirectories. Thus
cp -xr / blah
will only copy the root file system, not any of the other file systems mounted.
See the cp -x documentation (although its distinction is subtle).
answered Nov 28 at 13:06
Stephen Kitt
159k24354430
3
Oh yes, you might not want to copy network shares under /mnt. Nor a remote RCS repository mounted under your home drive.
– mckenzm
Nov 29 at 4:23
1
@mckenzm Also because/mntis only a human convention sometimes enforced by a distro's setup but not a requirement of the OS. I sometimes have network filesystems mounted under/var/somewebsite/www/sessionsto implement load balancing web servers
– slebetman
2 days ago
Indeed, this kind of flag prevents accidentally copying huge network shares or removable media that you forgot you had mounted. And you don't need to give--excludeoptions to manually block each of them. Very useful with rsync.
– Lassi
2 days ago
3
It also avoids copying file systems such as/dev,/proc,/sysetc. which you typically don’t want to read “en masse”.
– Stephen Kitt
2 days ago
add a comment |
up vote
57
down vote
accepted
up vote
57
down vote
accepted
It limits where files are copied from, not where they’re copied to. It’s useful with recursive copies, to control how cp descends into subdirectories. Thus
cp -xr / blah
will only copy the root file system, not any of the other file systems mounted.
See the cp -x documentation (although its distinction is subtle).
answered Nov 28 at 13:06
Stephen Kitt
159k24354430
It limits where files are copied from, not where they’re copied to. It’s useful with recursive copies, to control how cp descends into subdirectories. Thus
cp -xr / blah
will only copy the root file system, not any of the other file systems mounted.
See the cp -x documentation (although its distinction is subtle).
answered Nov 28 at 13:06
Stephen Kitt
159k24354430
answered Nov 28 at 13:06
Stephen Kitt
159k24354430
answered Nov 28 at 13:06
Stephen Kitt
159k24354430
answered Nov 28 at 13:06
Stephen Kitt
159k24354430
159k24354430
3
Oh yes, you might not want to copy network shares under /mnt. Nor a remote RCS repository mounted under your home drive.
– mckenzm
Nov 29 at 4:23
1
@mckenzm Also because/mntis only a human convention sometimes enforced by a distro's setup but not a requirement of the OS. I sometimes have network filesystems mounted under/var/somewebsite/www/sessionsto implement load balancing web servers
– slebetman
2 days ago
Indeed, this kind of flag prevents accidentally copying huge network shares or removable media that you forgot you had mounted. And you don't need to give--excludeoptions to manually block each of them. Very useful with rsync.
– Lassi
2 days ago
3
It also avoids copying file systems such as/dev,/proc,/sysetc. which you typically don’t want to read “en masse”.
– Stephen Kitt
2 days ago
add a comment |
3
Oh yes, you might not want to copy network shares under /mnt. Nor a remote RCS repository mounted under your home drive.
– mckenzm
Nov 29 at 4:23
1
@mckenzm Also because/mntis only a human convention sometimes enforced by a distro's setup but not a requirement of the OS. I sometimes have network filesystems mounted under/var/somewebsite/www/sessionsto implement load balancing web servers
– slebetman
2 days ago
Indeed, this kind of flag prevents accidentally copying huge network shares or removable media that you forgot you had mounted. And you don't need to give--excludeoptions to manually block each of them. Very useful with rsync.
– Lassi
2 days ago
3
It also avoids copying file systems such as/dev,/proc,/sysetc. which you typically don’t want to read “en masse”.
– Stephen Kitt
2 days ago
3
3
Oh yes, you might not want to copy network shares under /mnt. Nor a remote RCS repository mounted under your home drive.
– mckenzm
Nov 29 at 4:23
Oh yes, you might not want to copy network shares under /mnt. Nor a remote RCS repository mounted under your home drive.
– mckenzm
Nov 29 at 4:23
1
1
@mckenzm Also because
/mnt is only a human convention sometimes enforced by a distro's setup but not a requirement of the OS. I sometimes have network filesystems mounted under /var/somewebsite/www/sessions to implement load balancing web servers– slebetman
2 days ago
@mckenzm Also because
/mnt is only a human convention sometimes enforced by a distro's setup but not a requirement of the OS. I sometimes have network filesystems mounted under /var/somewebsite/www/sessions to implement load balancing web servers– slebetman
2 days ago
Indeed, this kind of flag prevents accidentally copying huge network shares or removable media that you forgot you had mounted. And you don't need to give
--exclude options to manually block each of them. Very useful with rsync.– Lassi
2 days ago
Indeed, this kind of flag prevents accidentally copying huge network shares or removable media that you forgot you had mounted. And you don't need to give
--exclude options to manually block each of them. Very useful with rsync.– Lassi
2 days ago
3
3
It also avoids copying file systems such as
/dev, /proc, /sys etc. which you typically don’t want to read “en masse”.– Stephen Kitt
2 days ago
It also avoids copying file systems such as
/dev, /proc, /sys etc. which you typically don’t want to read “en masse”.– Stephen Kitt
2 days ago
add a comment |
up vote
25
down vote
The -x flag to cp is a GNU extension. When copying a single file, this option will have no effect, but when copying a whole file hierarchy, the -x option prevents the copying of files and directories that do not live on the same filesystem as the original source.
For example, on a filesystem with mount points at /usr and /usr/local, using cp -xR /usr /some-dest would not copy the hierarchy under /usr/local.
There are other utilities with an -x option with similar semantics, such as du and find (the flag is called -xdev for find), and rsync.
edited Nov 29 at 9:05
Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy
8,12212151
answered Nov 28 at 13:08
Kusalananda
118k16223361
add a comment |
up vote
25
down vote
The -x flag to cp is a GNU extension. When copying a single file, this option will have no effect, but when copying a whole file hierarchy, the -x option prevents the copying of files and directories that do not live on the same filesystem as the original source.
For example, on a filesystem with mount points at /usr and /usr/local, using cp -xR /usr /some-dest would not copy the hierarchy under /usr/local.
There are other utilities with an -x option with similar semantics, such as du and find (the flag is called -xdev for find), and rsync.
edited Nov 29 at 9:05
Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy
8,12212151
answered Nov 28 at 13:08
Kusalananda
118k16223361
add a comment |
up vote
25
down vote
up vote
25
down vote
The -x flag to cp is a GNU extension. When copying a single file, this option will have no effect, but when copying a whole file hierarchy, the -x option prevents the copying of files and directories that do not live on the same filesystem as the original source.
For example, on a filesystem with mount points at /usr and /usr/local, using cp -xR /usr /some-dest would not copy the hierarchy under /usr/local.
There are other utilities with an -x option with similar semantics, such as du and find (the flag is called -xdev for find), and rsync.
edited Nov 29 at 9:05
Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy
8,12212151
answered Nov 28 at 13:08
Kusalananda
118k16223361
The -x flag to cp is a GNU extension. When copying a single file, this option will have no effect, but when copying a whole file hierarchy, the -x option prevents the copying of files and directories that do not live on the same filesystem as the original source.
For example, on a filesystem with mount points at /usr and /usr/local, using cp -xR /usr /some-dest would not copy the hierarchy under /usr/local.
There are other utilities with an -x option with similar semantics, such as du and find (the flag is called -xdev for find), and rsync.
edited Nov 29 at 9:05
Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy
8,12212151
answered Nov 28 at 13:08
Kusalananda
118k16223361
edited Nov 29 at 9:05
Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy
8,12212151
edited Nov 29 at 9:05
Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy
8,12212151
edited Nov 29 at 9:05
Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy
8,12212151
8,12212151
answered Nov 28 at 13:08
Kusalananda
118k16223361
answered Nov 28 at 13:08
Kusalananda
118k16223361
answered Nov 28 at 13:08
Kusalananda
118k16223361
118k16223361
add a comment |
add a comment |
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1
-x in a different context: unix.stackexchange.com/a/358331/30851 but same for cp: -x skips things, if you are migrating filesystems and would like it to be a complete copy, consider mounting in a way that gives you the full picture.
– frostschutz
Nov 28 at 13:51
1
You could ask the same about many flags, eg
-i: "why not just specify a destination that doesn't exist"?– JigglyNaga
Nov 28 at 14:58
1
@JigglyNaga I was thinking that as well. But -x was not phrased well in the documentation and far less obvious.
– neverMind9
Nov 28 at 18:53