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Emil
Emil

Reputation: 1722

What is the difference between 'mv' and 'cp' if you want to move a file?

If you want to move a file from one directory to another you can use either of the commands mv or cp. But what is the difference between the two, and when should one be used over the other?

Upvotes: 3

Views: 20881

Answers (2)

Claris Yufenyuy
Claris Yufenyuy

Reputation: 21

mv moves or renames a file or directory, while cp copies a file or directory.

mv deletes the source file or directory after moving it, while cp keeps the source file or directory intact.

mv does not change the inode number of the file or directory, while cp creates a new inode number for the copied file or directory.

mv does not access the file or directory data if the destination is on the same filesystem, while cp always reads and copies the file or directory data.

Upvotes: 2

Max1Truc
Max1Truc

Reputation: 154

The cp command will copy your file(s) while the mv one will move them.

So, the difference is that cp will keep the old file(s) while mv won't.

Upvotes: 9

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