Wildcard not working in cp command when using exec
I want to copy all the files in all the directories to the parent directory, but I get the error
./img/* is not a directory
For example. Here is the command that I used. Is there a better way to do this?
find . -type d -regex './[a-z]*' -exec cp -v {}/* .. ;
command-line unix find cp
asked Feb 19 '15 at 2:56
m0menim0meni
1255
add a comment |
I want to copy all the files in all the directories to the parent directory, but I get the error
./img/* is not a directory
For example. Here is the command that I used. Is there a better way to do this?
find . -type d -regex './[a-z]*' -exec cp -v {}/* .. ;
command-line unix find cp
asked Feb 19 '15 at 2:56
m0menim0meni
1255
add a comment |
I want to copy all the files in all the directories to the parent directory, but I get the error
./img/* is not a directory
For example. Here is the command that I used. Is there a better way to do this?
find . -type d -regex './[a-z]*' -exec cp -v {}/* .. ;
command-line unix find cp
asked Feb 19 '15 at 2:56
m0menim0meni
1255
I want to copy all the files in all the directories to the parent directory, but I get the error
./img/* is not a directory
For example. Here is the command that I used. Is there a better way to do this?
find . -type d -regex './[a-z]*' -exec cp -v {}/* .. ;
command-line unix find cp
command-line unix find cp
asked Feb 19 '15 at 2:56
m0menim0meni
1255
asked Feb 19 '15 at 2:56
m0menim0meni
1255
asked Feb 19 '15 at 2:56
m0menim0meni
1255
asked Feb 19 '15 at 2:56
m0menim0meni
1255
asked Feb 19 '15 at 2:56
m0menim0meni
1255
1255
add a comment |
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
Try:
find . -type d -regex './[a-z]*' -exec bash -c 'cp -v "$1"/* ..' Cp {} ;
Discussion
Consider:
find . -type d -regex './[a-z]*' -exec cp -v {}/* .. ;
When bash sees this line, it performs pathname expansion on {}/*. Since there (typically) is no directory named {}, the * is left as a literal *. This is not what you want. You need pathname expansion to occur after find has substituted in for {}. By putting the cp command in quotes and passing it as an argument to bash -c, we achieve that goal.
A sample form for bash -c looks like:
bash -c 'code...' a b c
This tells bash to assign a to $0, b to $1, c to $2 and then execute code.... If an error occurs, the shell uses $0 as the name of the program being executed (in the error message). Above, we chose Cp as a descriptive name. Also, as above, {} is substituted for $1 and we use use $1 in the code.... When used this way, {} doesn't need to be quoted (but it doesn't hurt if you do); find handles any escaping that is needed. Inside code..., however, $1 should be in double-quotes to protect against word splitting and pathname expansion.
edited Jan 7 at 18:10
Scott
15.8k113990
answered Feb 19 '15 at 3:08
John1024John1024
12.7k43433
Thank you very much! Could you explain why it works now?
– m0meni
Feb 19 '15 at 3:11
@AR7 I just updated the answer. Let me know if that helps.
– John1024
Feb 19 '15 at 3:13
It helps very much. You've made my day.
– m0meni
Feb 19 '15 at 3:15
add a comment |
This might also work
cd your_directory
cp -rp * /absolut_path_to_parent_directory
edited Feb 19 '15 at 11:57
ChrisF
38.4k1388139
answered Feb 19 '15 at 10:01
ryderryder
1206
add a comment |
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2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
Try:
find . -type d -regex './[a-z]*' -exec bash -c 'cp -v "$1"/* ..' Cp {} ;
Discussion
Consider:
find . -type d -regex './[a-z]*' -exec cp -v {}/* .. ;
When bash sees this line, it performs pathname expansion on {}/*. Since there (typically) is no directory named {}, the * is left as a literal *. This is not what you want. You need pathname expansion to occur after find has substituted in for {}. By putting the cp command in quotes and passing it as an argument to bash -c, we achieve that goal.
A sample form for bash -c looks like:
bash -c 'code...' a b c
This tells bash to assign a to $0, b to $1, c to $2 and then execute code.... If an error occurs, the shell uses $0 as the name of the program being executed (in the error message). Above, we chose Cp as a descriptive name. Also, as above, {} is substituted for $1 and we use use $1 in the code.... When used this way, {} doesn't need to be quoted (but it doesn't hurt if you do); find handles any escaping that is needed. Inside code..., however, $1 should be in double-quotes to protect against word splitting and pathname expansion.
edited Jan 7 at 18:10
Scott
15.8k113990
answered Feb 19 '15 at 3:08
John1024John1024
12.7k43433
Thank you very much! Could you explain why it works now?
– m0meni
Feb 19 '15 at 3:11
@AR7 I just updated the answer. Let me know if that helps.
– John1024
Feb 19 '15 at 3:13
It helps very much. You've made my day.
– m0meni
Feb 19 '15 at 3:15
add a comment |
Try:
find . -type d -regex './[a-z]*' -exec bash -c 'cp -v "$1"/* ..' Cp {} ;
Discussion
Consider:
find . -type d -regex './[a-z]*' -exec cp -v {}/* .. ;
When bash sees this line, it performs pathname expansion on {}/*. Since there (typically) is no directory named {}, the * is left as a literal *. This is not what you want. You need pathname expansion to occur after find has substituted in for {}. By putting the cp command in quotes and passing it as an argument to bash -c, we achieve that goal.
A sample form for bash -c looks like:
bash -c 'code...' a b c
This tells bash to assign a to $0, b to $1, c to $2 and then execute code.... If an error occurs, the shell uses $0 as the name of the program being executed (in the error message). Above, we chose Cp as a descriptive name. Also, as above, {} is substituted for $1 and we use use $1 in the code.... When used this way, {} doesn't need to be quoted (but it doesn't hurt if you do); find handles any escaping that is needed. Inside code..., however, $1 should be in double-quotes to protect against word splitting and pathname expansion.
edited Jan 7 at 18:10
Scott
15.8k113990
answered Feb 19 '15 at 3:08
John1024John1024
12.7k43433
Thank you very much! Could you explain why it works now?
– m0meni
Feb 19 '15 at 3:11
@AR7 I just updated the answer. Let me know if that helps.
– John1024
Feb 19 '15 at 3:13
It helps very much. You've made my day.
– m0meni
Feb 19 '15 at 3:15
add a comment |
Try:
find . -type d -regex './[a-z]*' -exec bash -c 'cp -v "$1"/* ..' Cp {} ;
Discussion
Consider:
find . -type d -regex './[a-z]*' -exec cp -v {}/* .. ;
When bash sees this line, it performs pathname expansion on {}/*. Since there (typically) is no directory named {}, the * is left as a literal *. This is not what you want. You need pathname expansion to occur after find has substituted in for {}. By putting the cp command in quotes and passing it as an argument to bash -c, we achieve that goal.
A sample form for bash -c looks like:
bash -c 'code...' a b c
This tells bash to assign a to $0, b to $1, c to $2 and then execute code.... If an error occurs, the shell uses $0 as the name of the program being executed (in the error message). Above, we chose Cp as a descriptive name. Also, as above, {} is substituted for $1 and we use use $1 in the code.... When used this way, {} doesn't need to be quoted (but it doesn't hurt if you do); find handles any escaping that is needed. Inside code..., however, $1 should be in double-quotes to protect against word splitting and pathname expansion.
edited Jan 7 at 18:10
Scott
15.8k113990
answered Feb 19 '15 at 3:08
John1024John1024
12.7k43433
Try:
find . -type d -regex './[a-z]*' -exec bash -c 'cp -v "$1"/* ..' Cp {} ;
Discussion
Consider:
find . -type d -regex './[a-z]*' -exec cp -v {}/* .. ;
When bash sees this line, it performs pathname expansion on {}/*. Since there (typically) is no directory named {}, the * is left as a literal *. This is not what you want. You need pathname expansion to occur after find has substituted in for {}. By putting the cp command in quotes and passing it as an argument to bash -c, we achieve that goal.
A sample form for bash -c looks like:
bash -c 'code...' a b c
This tells bash to assign a to $0, b to $1, c to $2 and then execute code.... If an error occurs, the shell uses $0 as the name of the program being executed (in the error message). Above, we chose Cp as a descriptive name. Also, as above, {} is substituted for $1 and we use use $1 in the code.... When used this way, {} doesn't need to be quoted (but it doesn't hurt if you do); find handles any escaping that is needed. Inside code..., however, $1 should be in double-quotes to protect against word splitting and pathname expansion.
edited Jan 7 at 18:10
Scott
15.8k113990
answered Feb 19 '15 at 3:08
John1024John1024
12.7k43433
edited Jan 7 at 18:10
Scott
15.8k113990
edited Jan 7 at 18:10
Scott
15.8k113990
edited Jan 7 at 18:10
Scott
15.8k113990
15.8k113990
answered Feb 19 '15 at 3:08
John1024John1024
12.7k43433
answered Feb 19 '15 at 3:08
John1024John1024
12.7k43433
answered Feb 19 '15 at 3:08
John1024John1024
12.7k43433
12.7k43433
Thank you very much! Could you explain why it works now?
– m0meni
Feb 19 '15 at 3:11
@AR7 I just updated the answer. Let me know if that helps.
– John1024
Feb 19 '15 at 3:13
It helps very much. You've made my day.
– m0meni
Feb 19 '15 at 3:15
add a comment |
Thank you very much! Could you explain why it works now?
– m0meni
Feb 19 '15 at 3:11
@AR7 I just updated the answer. Let me know if that helps.
– John1024
Feb 19 '15 at 3:13
It helps very much. You've made my day.
– m0meni
Feb 19 '15 at 3:15
Thank you very much! Could you explain why it works now?
– m0meni
Feb 19 '15 at 3:11
Thank you very much! Could you explain why it works now?
– m0meni
Feb 19 '15 at 3:11
@AR7 I just updated the answer. Let me know if that helps.
– John1024
Feb 19 '15 at 3:13
@AR7 I just updated the answer. Let me know if that helps.
– John1024
Feb 19 '15 at 3:13
It helps very much. You've made my day.
– m0meni
Feb 19 '15 at 3:15
It helps very much. You've made my day.
– m0meni
Feb 19 '15 at 3:15
add a comment |
This might also work
cd your_directory
cp -rp * /absolut_path_to_parent_directory
edited Feb 19 '15 at 11:57
ChrisF
38.4k1388139
answered Feb 19 '15 at 10:01
ryderryder
1206
add a comment |
This might also work
cd your_directory
cp -rp * /absolut_path_to_parent_directory
edited Feb 19 '15 at 11:57
ChrisF
38.4k1388139
answered Feb 19 '15 at 10:01
ryderryder
1206
add a comment |
This might also work
cd your_directory
cp -rp * /absolut_path_to_parent_directory
edited Feb 19 '15 at 11:57
ChrisF
38.4k1388139
answered Feb 19 '15 at 10:01
ryderryder
1206
This might also work
cd your_directory
cp -rp * /absolut_path_to_parent_directory
edited Feb 19 '15 at 11:57
ChrisF
38.4k1388139
answered Feb 19 '15 at 10:01
ryderryder
1206
edited Feb 19 '15 at 11:57
ChrisF
38.4k1388139
edited Feb 19 '15 at 11:57
ChrisF
38.4k1388139
edited Feb 19 '15 at 11:57
ChrisF
38.4k1388139
38.4k1388139
answered Feb 19 '15 at 10:01
ryderryder
1206
answered Feb 19 '15 at 10:01
ryderryder
1206
answered Feb 19 '15 at 10:01
ryderryder
1206
1206
add a comment |
add a comment |
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