I try to copy file using

find /mirror/home/dfeng -mmin -1440 -o -cmin -1440 -exec cp -v --target-directory=/usr/local/bin/mytemp --parents {} \;

where i only want to copy file that's change in past 24 hours. But somehow i always miss files after some copy process is occured. My find portion command give me correct selection of files. But when it come to copy (after -exec) , no error message and many files not copy. Can anyone help me with this??



------ files return from find /mirror/home/dfeng -mmin -1440 -o -cmin -1440 ------

/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir
/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/cur
/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/cur/1128333610.V801I27c35a.fdaserver.fdrive.com.au:2,S
/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/cur/1128333610.V801I27c35c.fdaserver.fdrive.com.au:2,S
/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/cur/1128334467.V801I27c35d.fdaserver.fdrive.com.au:2,S
/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/cur/1128344270.V801I27c35e.fdaserver.fdrive.com.au:2,S
/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/cur/1128347467.V801I27c35f.fdaserver.fdrive.com.au:2,S
/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/cur/1128352096.V801I27c360.fdaserver.fdrive.com.au:2,S
/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/cur/1128382735.V801I27c35b.fdaserver.fdrive.com.au:2,S
/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/cur/1128388805.V801I27c361.fdaserver.fdrive.com.au:2,S
/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/cur/1128389982.V801I27c363.fdaserver.fdrive.com.au:2,S
/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/cur/1128392292.V801I27c362.fdaserver.fdrive.com.au:2,S
/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/cur/1128398096.V801I27c364.fdaserver.fdrive.com.au:2,S
/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/cur/1128399776.V801I27c366.fdaserver.fdrive.com.au:2,S
/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/new
/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/new/1128420103.V801I27c365.fdaserver.fdrive.com.au
/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/new/1128420103.V801I27c368.fdaserver.fdrive.com.au
/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/new/1128426356.V801I27c369.fdaserver.fdrive.com.au
/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/new/1128433867.V801I27c36a.fdaserver.fdrive.com.au
/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/tmp
/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/tmp/testfile
/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/Outlook.pst
/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/courierpop3dsizelist
------------actual files got copy---------------
`/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/cur/1128333610.V801I27c35a.fdaserver.fdrive.com.au:2,S' -> `/usr/local/bin/mytemp/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/cur/1128333610.V801I27c35a.fdaserver.fdrive.com.au:2,S'
`/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/cur/1128333610.V801I27c35c.fdaserver.fdrive.com.au:2,S' -> `/usr/local/bin/mytemp/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/cur/1128333610.V801I27c35c.fdaserver.fdrive.com.au:2,S'
`/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/cur/1128334467.V801I27c35d.fdaserver.fdrive.com.au:2,S' -> `/usr/local/bin/mytemp/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/cur/1128334467.V801I27c35d.fdaserver.fdrive.com.au:2,S'
`/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/cur/1128344270.V801I27c35e.fdaserver.fdrive.com.au:2,S' -> `/usr/local/bin/mytemp/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/cur/1128344270.V801I27c35e.fdaserver.fdrive.com.au:2,S'
`/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/cur/1128347467.V801I27c35f.fdaserver.fdrive.com.au:2,S' -> `/usr/local/bin/mytemp/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/cur/1128347467.V801I27c35f.fdaserver.fdrive.com.au:2,S'
`/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/cur/1128352096.V801I27c360.fdaserver.fdrive.com.au:2,S' -> `/usr/local/bin/mytemp/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/cur/1128352096.V801I27c360.fdaserver.fdrive.com.au:2,S'
`/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/cur/1128382735.V801I27c35b.fdaserver.fdrive.com.au:2,S' -> `/usr/local/bin/mytemp/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/cur/1128382735.V801I27c35b.fdaserver.fdrive.com.au:2,S'
`/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/cur/1128388805.V801I27c361.fdaserver.fdrive.com.au:2,S' -> `/usr/local/bin/mytemp/mirror/home/dfeng/Maildir/cur/1128388805.V801I27c361.fdaserver.fdrive.com.au:2,S'
---------------------------------------

thx in advance

I wonder if this will work better...

I follow your script and it work except there is no directory structure preserved. Then i try to put bracket () around my test [ie. -mmin -cmin] and it work!

find /mirror/home/ \( -mmin -1440 -o -cmin -1440 \) -exec cp -v --target-directory=/tmp/mytemp --parents {} \;


Now , can you give me some hint why we need bracket in this case? Do we always has to use bracket when having more then on tests?

Besides, is there a way to use xargs for this problem?

thx
dav