[K12OSN] OT: bash help - copying a series of files

Rob Owens rob.owens at biochemfluidics.com
Thu Dec 11 18:07:40 UTC 2008


j.w. thomas wrote:
> Rob Owens wrote:
>> I've read this somewhere before, but I'm having trouble finding it on
>> google...
>>
>> I need to copy a series of files without using a loop.  I think the
>> syntax is something like:  cp /path/to/[file1 file2] /destination/folder
>>
>> But that doesn't work.  Does anybody know the correct syntax?  Google
>> isn't so good at searching special characters like [ and {
> 
> I do this:
> cp /path/to/file1 /path/to/file2 /destination/folder
> 
> If the names are as similar as you wrote though, you should be able to
> do this:
> 
> cp /path/to/file[12] /destination/folder
> 
The names really aren't that similar.  Here's the actual paths that I
need to copy:

/usr/local/share/icons/Drawings.desktop
/usr/local/share/icons/Obsolete\ Drawings.desktop
/usr/local/share/icons/Obsolete\ a\ Drawing.desktop

Since it's only 3 files, I could do as Robert suggests:

> cp  /path/file1  /path/file2  /path/file3  /dest/dir

But I was hoping to find a way with less typing, just in case someday I
have to do this with 10 files instead of 3.

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

-Rob

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