[ILUG] copying files

[Padraig Brady]

this is much more efficient (less processes started):

find /dir -type f -print0 | xargs -r0 cp -pi --target-directory=/target/dir

The -i option prompts you if a file is going to overwrite another,
change to -f if you don't care.

Padraig.

Paul Askins wrote:

> Thanks,
> 
> Colm's and Kate's method of 
> find source_dir -type f -exec cp -a {} dest_dir \;
> worked for me anyway, it stripped out all the sub directories which is what I
> needed.  Kate, why the \* after f ?  This caused problems for me giving,
> 
> find: paths must precede expression
> 
> works fine without anyway, thanks again,
> 
> Paul.
> 
> On 06-Apr-01 Dave Neary wrote:
>  "John P. Looney" wrote:
> 
>>  Find is your friend;
>> 
>>     find /dir -name -type f \* -exec cp -a {} /target/dir \;
>> 
>  
>  Tar is also usable - 
>      cd /dir && tar cfz - . | (cd /target/dir && tar xvfz -)