equivalent of cp

[Hunki]

what can be the equivalent "cp -rp" for the mv command.

there is a directory which i created using cp -rp ..here is the exmaple :

cp -rp prot prot.0510.

Now I want to move the prot.0510 to prot using the mv command rather than the cp or a combination of cp and rm.

[Patrick Wallek]

Your kidding, right?

# mv prot.0510 prot.0511

Did you try looking at the mv man page?

[Hunki]

mv prot.0510 prot
mv: prot.0510 is a directory

mv -f prot.0510 prot
mv: prot.0510 is a directory

[Sandman!]

What OS system are you on? The mv command works without errors on my HP-UX box.

[Sandman!]

Hit the submit button prematurely. Below is the excerpt from my hpux box.

# ls -ldrt prot.0510 prot
drwxr-xr-x 3 root sys 96 May 10 15:52 prot
drwxr-xr-x 2 root sys 96 May 10 15:54 prot.0510

# mv prot.0510 prot

# ls -ldrt prot.0510 prot
prot.0510 not found
drwxr-xr-x 3 root sys 96 May 10 15:54 prot

[Patrick Wallek · Accepted solution]

According to your previous post, the prot directory already exists.

If you want to mv the CONTENTS of the prot.0510 directory to the prot directory, then try:

# cd prot.0510
# mv * ../prot

or

# mv prot.0510/* prot

The man pages are rather helpful if you read them.

[Hunki]

# cd prot.0510
# mv * ../prot

it works but the prot directory is not removed altogether , which I want.

[Hunki]

Also Sandman it works the first time around but if the directory already exist then it gives those errors.

[Sandman!]

Try forcing mv into moving the files and then removing the directory viz.,

# mv -e force prot.0510 prot

~cheers

[Dennis Handly]

>Sandman
# ls -ldrt prot.0510 prot
drwxr-xr-x 3 96 May 10 15:52 prot
drwxr-xr-x 2 96 May 10 15:54 prot.0510
# mv prot.0510 prot
# ls -ldrt prot.0510 prot
prot.0510 not found

This is elementary container theory. When you move prot.0510 to prot, you put it inside prot.
(I assume that was Sandman's point?)