Please guide me for using cp and rename for existing directories. What i want to do is
(1) i like to rename an existing dir. Which command should i use?
(2) i like to copy a directory including its files and sub directories to another place. Pls show me how to do it.
(3) i have a tar.gz file and guide me how to untar it into a directory with name i want to give.
My linux box is installed from LiveCD of Ubuntu 8.04LTS. Is there any command to delete a directory tree such as windows deltree command.

1) Use the "mv" command to rename files or directories.
2) Look at the "man cp" manpage. Use the -R option. If you use the -a option, you will retain the original permissions and ownerships.
3) Look in the "info tar" manual. If this is a tarball, then it has a base directory already and you run: tar -xvzf <tarball-name>
The dash is optional if all of the options are together. The f option precedes the filename. There are numerous options for tar. For example, you can save a timestamp when creating an archive and then later create an incremental backup. Also look at the "info find" manpage. Often find is used to locate files with certain criteria and the list is used by tar.

In general, it will be good for you to get familiar with the man pages. For your questions, you want to look at:
man cp
man mv
man rename
man tar
man rm
man rmdir

Some general answers:

cp (copy) does not copy contents unless you use the -R flag (recursive)

mv (move) IS recursive by default--ie if you "mv" a directory, the contents go with it.

mv can also be thought of as "rename" (I am not familiar with the actual rename command, and I don't use it.
For example, the rename a file, and keep it in the same directory:
mv oldname newname

The way to learn all this is to simply try it. Try some different commands to see what happens, read the man pages, and try some more.

Deleting a directory tree is a forced recursive removal, so

rm -rf /directory/to/remove

Give a man a fish and he will be fed for a day.
Teach a man to fish and he will be fed for a lifetime.

Please read the following link.
http://www.ss64.com/bash/

Thank you to all for yr kind guidance. I've already reading with man cp man rename but i missed mv command. Anyway i will now try to read what you have suggested and try all things you've pointed out. recently our isp has some DNS problems and it is very slow or have no connections. As OKOS has said, i do agree learning to fish is for life. Now i try to get into the link you mentioned, but connection is too slow to get connected. Anyway i try later.

Glad to be of help

Here at LQ someone could probably help you with the DNS issue also.

Cheers

okos

read this manual
http://rute.2038bug.com/index.html.gz