CPIO(1) CPIO(1)
NAME
cpio - copy file archives in and out
SYNOPSIS
cpio -o [ acBv ]
cpio -i [ BcdmrtuvfsSb6 ] [ patterns ]
cpio -p [ adlmruv ] directory
DESCRIPTION
Cpio -o (copy out) reads the standard input to obtain a list
of path names and copies those files onto the standard out-
put together with path name and status information.
Cpio -i (copy in) extracts files from the standard input
which is assumed to be the product of a previous cpio -o.
Only files with names that match patterns are selected.
Patterns are given in the name-generating notation of sh(1).
In patterns, meta-characters ?, *, and [...] match the
slash / character. Multiple patterns may be specified and
if no patterns are specified, the default for patterns is *
(i.e., select all files). The extracted files are condi-
tionally created and copied into the current directory tree
based upon the options described below.
Cpio -p (pass) reads the standard input to obtain a list of
path names of files that are conditionally created and
copied into the destination directory tree based upon the
options described below.
The meanings of the available options are:
a Reset access times of input files after they have been
copied.
B Input/output is to be blocked 5,120 bytes to the record
(does not apply to the pass option; meaningful only
with data directed to or from /dev/rmt?).
d Directories are to be created as needed.
c Write header information in ASCII character form for
portability.
r Interactively rename files. If the user types a null
line, the file is skipped.
t Print a table of contents of the input. No files are
created.
u Copy unconditionally (normally, an older file will not
replace a newer file with the same name).
v Verbose: causes a list of file names to be printed.
When used with the t option, the table of contents
looks like the output of an ls -l command (see ls(1)).
CPIO(1) CPIO(1)
l Whenever possible, link files rather than copying them.
Usable only with the -p option.
m Retain previous file modification time. This option is
ineffective on directories that are being copied.
f Copy in all files except those in patterns.
s Swap bytes. Use only with the -i option.
S Swap halfwords. Use only with the -i option.
b Swap both bytes and halfwords. Use only with the -i
option.
6 Process an old (i.e., UNIX Sixth Edition format) file.
Only useful with -i (copy in).
EXAMPLES
The first example below copies the contents of a directory
into an archive; the second duplicates a directory hierar-
chy:
ls | cpio -o >/dev/mt0
cd olddir
find . -depth -print | cpio -pdl newdir
The trivial case ``find . -depth -print | cpio -oB
>/dev/rmt0'' can be handled more efficiently by:
find . -cpio /dev/rmt0
SEE ALSO
ar(1), find(1), cpio(4).
BUGS
Path names are restricted to 128 characters.
If there are too many unique linked files, the program runs
out of memory to keep track of them and, thereafter, linking
information is lost.
Only the super-user can copy special files.
The -B option does not work with certain magnetic tape
drives.