Wow - I get so frustrated when I try to copy some files over old ones and I get:

[root@server1 wordpress]# cp -Rf * ../public_html/
cp: overwrite `../public_html/license.txt'? y

-R is recursive, but -f is supposed to copy over without confirmation. What could it be?!

Check out your alias command using ‘alias’:

[root@server1 wordpress]# alias
alias cp='cp -i'

Sure enough - alias is set on Redhat Based systems into -i, or interactive mode. Remove this alias with ‘unalias cp’ and it will be removed.

Happy copying!

  • Welcome to systemBash, a technology and system administration blog by David Drager. If you enjoy this sort of content, can can subscribe to the RSS using the link to the right.