How to copy multiple files from a different directory using cp?

linux bash cp
ziulfer picture ziulfer · Mar 28, 2012 · Viewed 95k times · Source

I want to copy multiple files from a specific directory once I am in another directory. To clarify I want to do the following, at once (one command):

cp ../dir5/dir4/dir3/dir2/file1 .
cp ../dir5/dir4/dir3/dir2/file2 .
cp ../dir5/dir4/dir3/dir2/file3 .
cp ../dir5/dir4/dir3/dir2/file4 .

I can't use cp ../dir5/dir4/dir3/dir2/* . because in dir2 there are n files (n>4)

By the way, I'm using bash.

Thanks.

Answer

Philipp picture Philipp · Mar 28, 2012 
cp ../dir5/dir4/dir3/dir2/file[1234] .

or (in Bash)

cp ../dir5/dir4/dir3/dir2/file{1..4} .

If the file names are non-contiguous, you can use

cp ../dir5/dir4/dir3/dir2/{march,april,may} .

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