How do you copy hidden files from one directory to another?

gnif · 10-05-2011, 12:45 AM

Or you could just turn the option on in bash so that * matches dotfiles.

shopt -s dotglob

jrdasm · 12-28-2011, 09:25 AM

Easier way:

Code:

cp -r source/. target/

Will result in ".a" file in source/ to be copied in target/.a for example.
This way, all files will be copied, including hidden ones, and this syntax does not depend on the type of shell you use and the configuration of it.

gnif · 12-28-2011, 04:34 PM

But doing this with the recursive flag will cause cp to recurse up directories in some circumstances, especially if the mv command is used. My solution is more correct because it makes the glob operator (*) work as expected for scripts and other commands also.

jrdasm · 12-29-2011, 03:11 AM

Quote:

will cause cp to recurse up directories in some circumstances

No it doesn't

Quote:

especially if the mv command is used

The question is about "cp".

gnif · 12-29-2011, 03:31 AM

Yes, sorry, I was thinking of when a for loop is used and the shell expands the . and .. paths.

And yes, I know this questions is about cp, but you will get some people that try the same trick with other commands such as mv.

Telo · 12-11-2019, 01:18 AM

Use zsh. It ignores . and ..

So you can easily (and I might add memorably), recursively with -a (or not without it) copy JUST the hidden files from one folder to another in bash:

Code:

$ zsh
...# cp -a folder1/.* folder2/.
^D
$

Without the fear that the -a will try to recurse into the . and ..

MadeInGermany · 12-13-2019, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Akhran

debian:/home# mkdir test
debian:/home# mkdir target
debian:/home# cd test
debian:/home/test# touch .file1 .file2
debian:/home/test# cd ..
debian:/home# cp -r test/.* target
cp: will not create hard link `target/test' to directory `target/.'
cp: cannot copy a directory, `test/..', into itself, `target'
cp: cannot copy a directory, `test/..', into itself, `target'
cp: cannot copy a directory, `test/..', into itself, `target'
cp: cannot copy a directory, `test/..', into itself, `target'

Seems that I can't copy hidden files with cp -r.

Please advise.

Thanks.

The correct glob is

Code:

cp -r test/.[!.]* target

A dot then a non-dot than anything.
This includes file names like .a that would not work with .??* as was suggested by Mr. C.

A glob is the wildcard/expression in the shell.
A [a-z0-9] character range works in a glob and in an RE(=regular expression), but otherwise they are much different.

ehartman · 12-13-2019, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Akhran

Seems that I can't copy hidden files with cp -r.

I normally use rsync for that, using the directory WITH the hidden files as source, but with a trailing / (to not copy the directory itself).

Code:

rsync -a source-dir/ destination-dir

will make a complete copy of the contents of the source directory into the destination directory, including both hidden files and subdirectories.

Optional flags for rsync (see the man page too):

Code:

-v    verbose (shows files as they're copied)
-H    copy hard links AS hard-links, if the "other link" is in the copied tree too
-n    dry-run, only show what would have been copied

So often you use a "rsync -avn" command first, just to see if it does what you want.