How to copy multiple files at once?

Copying Multiple Files at Once in Linux

In the Linux operating system, there are several ways to copy multiple files at once. This can be a useful task when you need to back up or transfer a group of files from one location to another. Here are a few methods you can use:

Using the cp Command

The most straightforward way to copy multiple files is by using the cp command in the Linux terminal. The basic syntax is:

cp file1 file2 file3 ... destination_directory

For example, to copy three files (file1.txt, file2.txt, and file3.txt) to the /backup directory, you would run:

cp file1.txt file2.txt file3.txt /backup

You can also use wildcard characters to select multiple files based on a pattern. For instance, to copy all files with the .txt extension in the current directory to the /backup directory, you would use:

cp *.txt /backup

This will copy all text files in the current directory to the /backup directory.

Using the rsync Command

Another useful tool for copying multiple files is the rsync command. rsync is designed for efficient file transfers, as it only copies the parts of files that have changed since the last transfer. The basic syntax is:

rsync -a source_directory/ destination_directory/

The -a option preserves file attributes and permissions during the copy. For example, to copy all files and directories from the /documents directory to the /backup directory, you would run:

rsync -a /documents/ /backup/

The trailing slash / after the source directory is important, as it tells rsync to copy the contents of the directory, not the directory itself.

Using the tar Command

You can also use the tar command to create an archive of multiple files and then copy the archive to the desired location. The basic syntax is:

tar -cf archive.tar file1 file2 file3

This will create a tar archive named archive.tar containing the specified files. You can then copy the archive to the destination directory:

cp archive.tar /backup/

In the destination directory, you can extract the files from the archive using the following command:

tar -xf /backup/archive.tar

This method is useful when you need to preserve the file structure and metadata (such as permissions and ownership) of the files being copied.

Visualizing the Workflow

Here's a Mermaid diagram that illustrates the workflow for copying multiple files using the methods described above:

In summary, the cp, rsync, and tar commands provide flexible and efficient ways to copy multiple files at once in the Linux operating system. The choice of method will depend on your specific needs, such as the number of files, the need to preserve file attributes, and the overall file transfer efficiency.