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[Explore Stack Internal](https://stackoverflow.co/internal/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=askubuntu-community&utm_campaign=side-bar&utm_content=explore-teams-compact-popover) # [How to copy and paste a file?](https://askubuntu.com/questions/400152/how-to-copy-and-paste-a-file) [Ask Question](https://askubuntu.com/questions/ask) Asked 12 years, 2 months ago Modified [2 years, 8 months ago](https://askubuntu.com/questions/400152/how-to-copy-and-paste-a-file?lastactivity "2023-07-08 05:23:50Z") Viewed 386k times This question shows research effort; it is useful and clear 33 Save this question. Show activity on this post. I want copy and paste a file. The name of the file is `mkoctfile.m`. The path of this file is: `/usr/share/octave/3.2.4/m/miscellaneous/mkoctfile.m` I want to paste it to the following path `/usr/bin/mkoctfile-3.2.4` I have made the directory by using following commands: `sudo su` `mkdir -p /usr/bin/mkoctfile-3.2.4` but I don't know how to copy and paste `mkoctfile.m` in this path. Please tell me what command I have to use. - [command-line](https://askubuntu.com/questions/tagged/command-line "show questions tagged 'command-line'") - [gnome-terminal](https://askubuntu.com/questions/tagged/gnome-terminal "show questions tagged 'gnome-terminal'") [Share](https://askubuntu.com/q/400152 "Short permalink to this question") Share a link to this question Copy link [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ "The current license for this post: CC BY-SA 4.0") [Improve this question](https://askubuntu.com/posts/400152/edit) Follow Follow this question to receive notifications [edited Aug 23, 2019 at 7:02](https://askubuntu.com/posts/400152/revisions "show all edits to this post") [](https://askubuntu.com/users/1992/rolandixor) [RolandiXor](https://askubuntu.com/users/1992/rolandixor) 52\.1k3434 gold badges176176 silver badges267267 bronze badges asked Jan 4, 2014 at 19:46 [](https://askubuntu.com/users/228710/osama) [osama](https://askubuntu.com/users/228710/osama) 1,11144 gold badges1414 silver badges1919 bronze badges [Add a comment](https://askubuntu.com/questions/400152/how-to-copy-and-paste-a-file "Use comments to ask for more information or suggest improvements. Avoid answering questions in comments.") \| ## 4 Answers 4 Sorted by: [Reset to default](https://askubuntu.com/questions/400152/how-to-copy-and-paste-a-file?answertab=scoredesc#tab-top) This answer is useful 58 Save this answer. Show activity on this post. Use the `cp` command to copy a file, the syntax goes `cp sourcefile destinationfile`. Use the `mv` command to move the file, basically cut and paste it somewhere else. The exact syntax you would use for your example is: ``` sudo cp /usr/bin/octave/3.2.4/m/miscellaneous/mkoctfile.m /usr/bin/mkoctfile-3.2.4 ``` For more information on the `cp` or `mv` commands you can run: ``` man cp ``` or ``` man mv ``` To view the manual pages [Share](https://askubuntu.com/a/400156 "Short permalink to this answer") Share a link to this answer Copy link [CC BY-SA 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ "The current license for this post: CC BY-SA 3.0") [Improve this answer](https://askubuntu.com/posts/400156/edit) Follow Follow this answer to receive notifications [edited Jan 4, 2014 at 20:31](https://askubuntu.com/posts/400156/revisions "show all edits to this post") [](https://askubuntu.com/users/139634/julian-stirling) [Julian Stirling](https://askubuntu.com/users/139634/julian-stirling) 2,9292121 silver badges2929 bronze badges answered Jan 4, 2014 at 20:03 [](https://askubuntu.com/users/169254/steve51516) [steve51516](https://askubuntu.com/users/169254/steve51516) 1,17611 gold badge1010 silver badges66 bronze badges 3 - 1 thanks! but typing out the full file path is difficult. is there a better way? BenKoshy – [BenKoshy](https://askubuntu.com/users/453324/benkoshy "131 reputation") 2016-01-19 23:16:58 +00:00 [Commented Jan 19, 2016 at 23:16](https://askubuntu.com/questions/400152/how-to-copy-and-paste-a-file#comment1069636_400156) - 1 To @BKSurgeon, I would suggest to use the tab key to see the paths/directories available, or type ls to see them all at once printed. Jumanazar Said – [Jumanazar Said](https://askubuntu.com/users/987883/jumanazar-said "1 reputation") 2019-08-23 02:41:09 +00:00 [Commented Aug 23, 2019 at 2:41](https://askubuntu.com/questions/400152/how-to-copy-and-paste-a-file#comment1948022_400156) - I think it is better to use `cp -a` than just `cp`, if you want to have the same affect as when copy-pasting in desktop GUI. Alexey – [Alexey](https://askubuntu.com/users/448153/alexey "803 reputation") 2020-12-14 07:48:52 +00:00 [Commented Dec 14, 2020 at 7:48](https://askubuntu.com/questions/400152/how-to-copy-and-paste-a-file#comment2209497_400156) [Add a comment](https://askubuntu.com/questions/400152/how-to-copy-and-paste-a-file "Use comments to ask for more information or suggest improvements. Avoid comments like “+1” or “thanks”.") \| This answer is useful 3 Save this answer. Show activity on this post. You can cut, copy, and paste in CLI intuitively like the way you usually did in the GUI, like so: - `cd` to the folder containing files you want to copy or cut. - `copy file1 file2 folder1 folder2` or `cut file1 folder1` - close the current terminal. - open another terminal. - `cd` to the folder where you want to paste them. - `paste` To be able to do so, make sure you have installed `xclip` and `realpath`. Then, append these functions to the end of your *~/.bashrc* file: ``` copy() { # if the number of arguments equals 0 if [ $# -eq 0 ] then # if there are no arguments, save the folder you are currently in to the clipboard pwd | xclip else # save the number of argument/path to `~/.numToCopy` file. echo $# > ~/.numToCopy # save all paths to clipboard # https://stackoverflow.com/q/5265702/9157799#comment128297633_5265775 realpath -s "$@" | xclip fi # mark that you want to do a copy operation echo "copy" > ~/.copyOrCut } cut() { # use the previous function to save the paths to clipboard copy "$@" # but mark it as a cut operation echo "cut" > ~/.copyOrCut } paste() { # for every path for ((i=1; i <= $(cat ~/.numToCopy); i++)) do # get the nth path pathToCopy="$(xclip -o | head -$i | tail -1)" if [ -d "$pathToCopy" ] # If it's a directory then cp -r "$pathToCopy" . else cp "$pathToCopy" . fi # if it was marked as a cut operation if [ $(cat ~/.copyOrCut) = "cut" ] then # delete the original file rm -r "$pathToCopy" fi done } ``` If you don't know what *.bashrc* file is and never modify it before, just open the file explorer, go to Home, press Ctrl+H (show hidden files), search for *.bashrc* and open it with a text editor like gedit. **Note** By using the above script, you are overriding the default functionality of these commands: - `copy` is a reserved PostgreSQL command. - `cut` and `paste` are reserved Linux command. If you use one of those commands default functionality, just modify the script function names accordingly. For example, use `p` instead of `paste`. [Share](https://askubuntu.com/a/1317394 "Short permalink to this answer") Share a link to this answer Copy link [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ "The current license for this post: CC BY-SA 4.0") [Improve this answer](https://askubuntu.com/posts/1317394/edit) Follow Follow this answer to receive notifications [edited Jun 15, 2022 at 12:25](https://askubuntu.com/posts/1317394/revisions "show all edits to this post") answered Feb 18, 2021 at 11:52 [](https://askubuntu.com/users/356625/m-imam-pratama) [M Imam Pratama](https://askubuntu.com/users/356625/m-imam-pratama) 24422 silver badges1313 bronze badges [Add a comment](https://askubuntu.com/questions/400152/how-to-copy-and-paste-a-file "Use comments to ask for more information or suggest improvements. Avoid comments like “+1” or “thanks”.") \| This answer is useful 0 Save this answer. Show activity on this post. Go to that directory from where you want to copy file i.e /usr/bin/octave/3.2.4/m/miscellaneous ``` cd /usr/bin/octave/3.2.4/m/miscellaneous ``` Then type ``` `cp mkoctfile.m ../../../mkoctfile-3.2.4` ``` `../../../` means you are going backward to bin folder and type whatever directory in which you want to copy your file. [Share](https://askubuntu.com/a/1160908 "Short permalink to this answer") Share a link to this answer Copy link [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ "The current license for this post: CC BY-SA 4.0") [Improve this answer](https://askubuntu.com/posts/1160908/edit) Follow Follow this answer to receive notifications answered Jul 25, 2019 at 7:17 [](https://askubuntu.com/users/978687/md-rijwan) [MD Rijwan](https://askubuntu.com/users/978687/md-rijwan) 10111 bronze badge [Add a comment](https://askubuntu.com/questions/400152/how-to-copy-and-paste-a-file "Use comments to ask for more information or suggest improvements. Avoid comments like “+1” or “thanks”.") \| This answer is useful 0 Save this answer. Show activity on this post. An interesting solution based on @M Imam Pratama's idea (Copy / Cut now and paste later). Consider using [xclip-copyfile, xclip-cutfile and xclip-pastefile](https://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/lunar/en/man1/xclip-copyfile.1.html). ``` $ xclip-copyfile file1 $ xclip-cutfile file1 $ xclip-pastefile file1 ``` You can also copy an entire tree structure. **WARNING:** `xclip-cutfile` immediately remove the file, does not wait until you paste it. [Share](https://askubuntu.com/a/1476994 "Short permalink to this answer") Share a link to this answer Copy link [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ "The current license for this post: CC BY-SA 4.0") [Improve this answer](https://askubuntu.com/posts/1476994/edit) Follow Follow this answer to receive notifications [edited Jul 8, 2023 at 5:23](https://askubuntu.com/posts/1476994/revisions "show all edits to this post") answered Jul 8, 2023 at 5:17 [](https://askubuntu.com/users/598062/ahmad-ismail) [Ahmad Ismail](https://askubuntu.com/users/598062/ahmad-ismail) 8181212 silver badges3232 bronze badges [Add a comment](https://askubuntu.com/questions/400152/how-to-copy-and-paste-a-file "Use comments to ask for more information or suggest improvements. 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You can cut, copy, and paste in CLI intuitively like the way you usually did in the GUI, like so: - `cd` to the folder containing files you want to copy or cut. - `copy file1 file2 folder1 folder2` or `cut file1 folder1` - close the current terminal. - open another terminal. - `cd` to the folder where you want to paste them. - `paste` To be able to do so, make sure you have installed `xclip` and `realpath`. Then, append these functions to the end of your *~/.bashrc* file: ``` copy() { # if the number of arguments equals 0 if [ $# -eq 0 ] then # if there are no arguments, save the folder you are currently in to the clipboard pwd | xclip else # save the number of argument/path to `~/.numToCopy` file. echo $# > ~/.numToCopy # save all paths to clipboard # https://stackoverflow.com/q/5265702/9157799#comment128297633_5265775 realpath -s "$@" | xclip fi # mark that you want to do a copy operation echo "copy" > ~/.copyOrCut } cut() { # use the previous function to save the paths to clipboard copy "$@" # but mark it as a cut operation echo "cut" > ~/.copyOrCut } paste() { # for every path for ((i=1; i <= $(cat ~/.numToCopy); i++)) do # get the nth path pathToCopy="$(xclip -o | head -$i | tail -1)" if [ -d "$pathToCopy" ] # If it's a directory then cp -r "$pathToCopy" . else cp "$pathToCopy" . fi # if it was marked as a cut operation if [ $(cat ~/.copyOrCut) = "cut" ] then # delete the original file rm -r "$pathToCopy" fi done } ``` If you don't know what *.bashrc* file is and never modify it before, just open the file explorer, go to Home, press Ctrl+H (show hidden files), search for *.bashrc* and open it with a text editor like gedit. **Note** By using the above script, you are overriding the default functionality of these commands: - `copy` is a reserved PostgreSQL command. - `cut` and `paste` are reserved Linux command. If you use one of those commands default functionality, just modify the script function names accordingly. For example, use `p` instead of `paste`.