Subj : Re: Copy files without changing ownership and permissions
To   : comp.os.linux,comp.os.linux.redhat
From : Jeffrey Bird
Date : Tue Dec 07 2004 02:51 am

In comp.os.linux.redhat Anthony E. Greene <agreene@pobox.com> wrote:
> thegodorange <orange@comcast.net> wrote in message news:<Aovnd.360335$wV.249506@attbi_s54>...
>> Ross wrote:
>> > Hi there,
>> > My Linux file server has an ext3 partition for user's home directories. I
>> > have just added a new and big ext3 partition.
>> > I (root) would like to copy (cp) all users' files to the new partition. But
>> > any files copied to the partition will change their ownership to root, and
>> > permission to 755.
>> > How can I keep their ownership and permissions?
>> > Thanks in advance,
>> > Ross
>> > 
>> > 
>> look into the cp -a option
>> for example, cp -a /home /newhome
> 
> The problem I have with cp is that you don't get hidden files/dirs.
> tar is intended to do what is needed here.

cp -a will indeed copy "hidden" files and directories. The only time it wouldn't
that I can think of would be if you did something like:

cp -a * /newhome

since the globbing doesn't pick up . files.

Jeffrey Bird

.