why doesn't cp work properly?

[DK-11]

there are various options which have no effect, for example:

cp -ax * /adifferentplace

will not stay on current file system, it will copy everything. Moving the -x to anywhere on the commandline or using the --one-file-system does nothing.

cp -af * /anotherplacewithsamefiles

This won't force copy, it will prompt for every file. Again moving the option around does nothing.

cp -f file1 file2

This is as simple as I can get it, still doesn't force, it prompts, when the file exists.

There's other options that are broken as well. What gives? Am I doing this wrong?

[gthill]

Most likely you are doing these commands as root and if you look at your .bashrc file you will notice that there are some aliases set up. You can put your own aliases in here or delete the default ones if your not happy with them.

[root@tc2 ~]# cat .bashrc
# .bashrc

# User specific aliases and functions

alias rm='rm -i'
alias cp='cp -i'
alias mv='mv -i'
alias ndb='nautilus --no-desktop --browser&'
.
.
.
# Source global definitions
if [ -f /etc/bashrc ]; then
. /etc/bashrc
fi
[root@tc2 ~]#

or you can enter the command

[root@tc2 ~]# alias cp
alias cp='cp -i'

to see if the command has an alias set

using cp -f should over-ride the -i (interactive) option though!

[scottro]

Yes, that's a bit weird. This is F10?
Quick way to temporarily unset an alias is to escape it with a backslash, e.g. \cp -f file1 otherfile, which will work for that one command or
unalias cp
which will unset it for that session.
(Does quick test)
I just tested cp -f, though it's an install that started as rawhide and was upgraded.

You're right. What the dickens????
Sigh, a bug report should probably be filed, but frankly, I'm so sick of RH's buggy bugzilla that I don't have the energy. Testing as regular user..
Hrrm, as regular user, even if I don't use test it doesn't ask, just overwrites. This might be because I have my own .bashrc and my .bash_profile says to source it. Hrrm, actually, I have my own custom .bash_profile too.

Anyway, it's not just you.

I would consider it a bug, but no doubt, it's considered a feature.