cp command

[Socrates440]

I am reading a textbook on how to use linux and I am having some trouble with the cp command. I have succesfully used it to copy files in one folder/directory to the same folder/directory.

@localhost Documents]$ cp copythisfile copythisfile2


However, I am having trouble copying it into a new folder. I created a new folder in my doccuments folder called d2. It's location is: /home/username/documents/d2. I tried to copy my file into that folder by typing:

localhost Documents]$ cp copythisfile /home/rootless/documents/d2

This command returns the error message
cp: cannot create regular file `/home/username/documents/d2': No such file or directory


Any ideas?

Thanks!

[RupertPupkin]

The Linux filesystem is case-sensitive. Notice the different cases here, highlighted in red:

localhost Documents]$ cp copythisfile /home/rootless/documents/d2

I suspect that the d2 directory you created is in /home/rootless/Documents, not /home/rootless/documents. You can find out for sure with this command:

ls -ld /home/rootless/documents/d2

I suspect you'll get an error, because that directory doesn't exist.

So to make this work, try this command instead:

cp copythisfile /home/rootless/Documents/d2

[Socrates440]

I did have it capitalized correcty in my terminal. For further clarification, the folder location is definitely
/home/rootless/Documents/d2

---------- Post added at 07:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:10 PM ----------

Heh, I just tried it again and it worked. I don't know what I did differently but I am not complaining. Thanks!

[marko]

A really good way to reduce spelling annoyances is to make the shell work for you. Just type a few letters of the directory or filename in the command and hit the Tab key. The shell will show all the matches if the result is ambiguous or put the name in for you if it's not.

cp copythisfile /home/rootless/Doc<tabkey>

[stevea]

Originally Posted by marko

A really good way to reduce spelling annoyances is to make the shell work for you. Just type a few letters of the directory or filename in the command and hit the Tab key. The shell will show all the matches if the result is ambiguous or put the name in for you if it's not.

Yes, prevents a load of typos. Also you probably want to install this ...
sudo yum -y install bash-completion
as it completes very app specific items with the <tab> completion method. Things like command options or you can "ping h<tab>" and get a list or completions of known host beginning with 'h'.