Copy Files to Multiple Directories

Copy Files to Multiple Directories

While learning Linux, it is always the norm for newbies to keep typing several commands to accomplish a simple task. This is understandable especially when one is just accustomed to using the terminal.

However, as you look forward to becoming a Linux power user, learning what I would refer to as “shortcut commands” can significantly reduce time-wasting tendencies.

In this article, I will explain an easy way, using a single command to copy a file into multiple directories in Linux.

In Linux, the cp command is used to copy files from one directory to another, the easiest syntax for using it is as follows:

# cp [options….] source(s) destination

Alternatively, you can also use the advanced-copy command, which shows a progress bar while copying large files/folders in Linux.

Consider the commands below, normally, you would type two different commands to copy the same file into two separate directories as follows:

# cp -v /etc/hosts /home/sophia/backup

# cp -v /etc/hosts /tmp/backup

Assuming that you want to copy a particular file into up to five or more directories, this means you would have to type five or more cp commands.

To do away with this problem, you can employ the echo command, a pipe, and xargs command together with the cp command in the form below:

$ echo /home/sophia/backup/ /tmp/backup |xargs -n 1 cp -v /etc/hosts

In the form above, the paths to the directories (dir1,dir2,dir3…..dirN) are echoed and piped as input to the xargs command where:

-n 1 – tells xargs to use at most one argument per command line and send to

the cp command.

cp – used to copy a file.

You can also copy multiple files from source to different destinations for example:

$echo /home/sophia/backup/ /tmp/backup |xargs -n 1 cp -v /etc/hosts*

In the form above, all files that start with "hosts" such as "hosts.allow", "hosts.deny" will copy to different destinations.

'/etc/hosts' -> '/home/sophia/backup/hosts'

'/etc/hosts.allow' -> '/home/sophia/backup/hosts.allow'

'/etc/hosts.deny' -> '/home/sophia/backup/hosts.deny'

'/etc/hosts' -> '/tmp/backup/hosts'

'/etc/hosts.allow' -> '/tmp/backup/hosts.allow'

Try to read through the man pages of cp, echo and xargs commands to find useful and advanced usage information:

man cp

man echo

man xargs

Please comment with your point of view and re-share this article with your network.