File Operations — cp / mv / rm

Copy — cp

cp is the command that duplicates a file.

Writing cp source destination keeps the original file and creates the destination as a new copy.

Add -r to copy a directory and all, or -i to avoid overwriting.

echo 'report' > report.txt   # create a sample file
cp report.txt backup.txt     # duplicate the file (original stays)
mkdir docs                   # prepare a directory
cp -r docs docs_copy         # copy the whole directory

① Create a sample file with echo 'hello' > a.txt.

② Use cp to duplicate a.txt to b.txt.

③ Make a directory with mkdir box, then use cp -r to copy box to box_copy directory and all.

④ Confirm with ls that both b.txt and box_copy exist. (Run it correctly and an explanation will appear.)

Move and Rename — mv

mv is the command for both moving and renaming.

mv file directory/ moves, while mv oldname newname renames in place.

Moving onto an existing name overwrites it without asking, so add -i when you want to prevent that.

echo 'draft' > draft.txt    # create a sample file
mv draft.txt final.txt      # rename (draft.txt is gone)
echo 'old' > final.txt      # prepare an overwrite target
mv -i draft.txt final.txt   # exists, so confirm y/n

① Create a sample file with echo 'data' > old.txt.

② Use mv to rename old.txt to new.txt.

③ Make another file with echo 'memo' > note.txt.

④ Run mv -i note.txt new.txt (since new.txt already exists, an overwrite confirmation appears — type y to proceed).

⑤ Confirm with ls that note.txt is gone and only new.txt remains.

Delete Files — rm

rm is the command that deletes files.

It doesn't go to a trash — the file is gone on the spot and can't be restored.

Add -i to confirm one by one, or -f to delete without errors or prompts.

echo 'log' > old.log    # create a sample file
rm old.log              # delete the file
echo 'tmp' > tmp.log    # create one more
rm -i tmp.log           # confirm y/n before deleting

① Create an unneeded file with echo 'temp' > junk.txt.

② Delete junk.txt with rm.

③ Make one more with echo 'temp' > junk2.txt.

④ Run rm -i junk2.txt (a confirmation appears before deleting, so type y).

⑤ Confirm with ls that both are gone.

rm can't be undone

A file deleted with rm doesn't go to a trash — it's removed on the spot.

rm -rf in particular deletes a directory and everything inside it with no confirmation, so double-check the target name before running it.

Remove an Empty Directory — rmdir

rmdir deletes only empty directories.

If files or subdirectories remain inside, it isn't deleted and the directory stays.

Add -p to delete a nested path like a/b/c step by step, going up through the empty parents.

mkdir empty_box        # create an empty directory
rmdir empty_box        # empty, so it can be deleted
mkdir -p a/b/c         # create an empty nest
rmdir -p a/b/c         # delete c → b → a up to the parent

① Create an empty directory with mkdir emptydir, then delete it with rmdir.

② Create an empty nested directory with mkdir -p a/b/c.

③ Use rmdir -p a/b/c to delete the empty parents from c up to a together.

④ Confirm with ls that emptydir and a are gone.

Delete a Whole Directory — rm -r

A directory that contains files or subdirectories can't be removed with rmdir.

rm -r deletes the directory and its contents together.

Adding -f too (rm -rf) removes everything with no confirmation or warning, so it's the option to treat most carefully.

① Create a throwaway nested directory with mkdir -p trash/inner.

② Delete trash directory and all with rm -r.

③ Confirm with ls that trash is gone.