How to Copy Files from One Directory to Another in Linux While Preserving Directory Structure

Описание: Learn how to copy files between directories in Linux while maintaining the same structure using the command line.
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/74597707/ asked by the user 'Divyank' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/16527170/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/74598015/ provided by the user 'Dominique' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/4279155/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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Copying Files Between Directories in Linux: A Complete Guide

When managing files on a Linux system, it’s vital to be aware of how to efficiently copy files while preserving your directory structure. If you’re like many users who’ve found themselves needing to duplicate directories and their contents to a different location, you’re not alone! In this guide, we’ll tackle the scenario where you want to copy files from specific directories while keeping the same organization in the destination location.

The Problem at Hand

Imagine you have a source directory named /home/ab/abc, which contains several directories named dir1, dir2, and a README file. You want to copy only the contents of dir1 and dir2 to a destination directory located at /home/ab/xyz, which already has the same subdirectory structure in place. The key requirement here is that if those directories exist, their contents should be updated instead of creating duplicates.

The Directory Structures

Here’s a quick overview of the directory structures you’re working with:

Source Directory (abc):

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Destination Directory (xyz):

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Your goal is to copy the contents of dir1 and dir2 from abc to xyz, ensuring updates to existing directories without copying extra files like README.md.

The Solution

To effectively copy only the directory contents while maintaining the same directory structure, you can use the find command combined with cp. Let's break down the steps involved in executing this task:

Step 1: Change to the Source Directory

First, navigate to your source directory where the files reside:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Step 2: Use the find Command

Use the find command to identify directories and copy their contents. The command you can use is:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Explanation of the Command:

find .: This tells the system to start looking from the current directory.

-type d: This ensures that we’re only selecting directories, skipping any files in the process.

-name "dir*": This filters the directories to include only those that start with "dir."

-exec cp -r {} /home/ab/xyz/{}: This copies the contents of each found directory recursively (-r) to the corresponding directory in the destination.

Important Note

You might receive a warning stating that the . directory already exists. This is expected behavior, but rest assured that all the other directories and their subdirectories will be created, and data will be updated if those directories already exist in the destination.

Conclusion

With this straightforward method using the find command, you can efficiently copy directories in Linux while preserving both their hierarchy and their respective contents. Whether you are updating projects or merely organizing files, mastering these commands will greatly enhance your command-line skills.

Feel free to try this solution the next time you need to manage your file structures effectively, and don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or comments on this topic!