Need some command line help

[jacatone]

I've been playing around with some command lines and I'm having trouble using the cp and mv commands. I created a "test" file on my Desktop and wanted to copy it to a etc/Test file I created. Here's what I tried:

jacatone@eMax:~/Desktop$ cp /etc/Test/ test
cp: omitting directory `/etc/Test/'
jacatone@eMax:~/Desktop$

Didn't work. What am I doing wrong here?

How would I mv (move) this file to the etc/Test directory?

Also, when I'm root#, what command brings me back to $.

Thanks.

[Fintan]

Re: Need some command line help

You need superuser permissions to mv or cp to /etc.

So you would have to do:

fred1@fintanws2:~/Desktop$ sudo cp test /etc/test

or

fred1@fintanws2:~/Desktop$ sudo mv test /etc/test

[Qqmike]

Re: Need some command line help

"Also, when I'm root#, what command brings me back to $."

exit

[jacatone]

Re: Need some command line help

The mv command worked fine but the cp command gave me the following error message:

jacatone@eMax:~/Desktop$ sudo cp test /etc/Test
cp: omitting directory `test'

Know what went wrong here?

[Fintan]

Re: Need some command line help

No, sorry I would have a google

This is what google gives me:

http://elliottback.com/wp/archives/2...-unix-command/

[Dark Star]

Re: Need some command line help

No need to use cp or mv commands .. If you want to move files to root folders use this

sudo dolphin

[Fintan]

Re: Need some command line help

Please don't use sudo for gui apps in the cli

Use kdesudo instead

[ghillan]

Re: Need some command line help

hm .. seems that not many shell users here

the error is not a permission error. He is triing to copy a directory, not a file. To copy a directory and everithyng inside you should use -r option ( recursive)

"cp -r /etc/Test/ test" should work ( copy "/etc/Test/" diretory into "test" )

else ( if /etc/Test dont contain dubdirectories) u can use also:

cp /etc/test/* test/ ( copy all files in "/etc/test/" inside test/

another usual opption is f ( force, used also to rewrite)

usual usage is:
"cp -fr /etc/Test/ test" , but be carefull .. it rewrites all without warnings and you cant "undo" what u did. ;-)

[Qqmike]

Re: Need some command line help

jacatone, suggest you put Tuxfiles on your list, as time/interest permits. On command line, she'll explain in detail cp for files and cp for directories, including recursive -r option.

Tuxfiles: http://www.tuxfiles.org/