How to alias cp with cp -i by default

Is there a good way to alias the command cp file1 file2 to cp -i file1 file2?

edited 2 hours ago

Rui F Ribeiro

39.6k1479132

asked Jun 7 '13 at 8:29

James Shapiro

15326

3

It's a great idea to alias destructive commands like cp, mv and rm - but don't depend on it... especially not as root! Because one day you'll be working at a computer without the alias you expect, and if you've then become used to the alias catching your mistakes, you'll be in for a rude awakening.

– Baard Kopperud
Jun 7 '13 at 13:41

add a comment |

Is there a good way to alias the command cp file1 file2 to cp -i file1 file2?

edited 2 hours ago

Rui F Ribeiro

39.6k1479132

asked Jun 7 '13 at 8:29

James Shapiro

15326

3

It's a great idea to alias destructive commands like cp, mv and rm - but don't depend on it... especially not as root! Because one day you'll be working at a computer without the alias you expect, and if you've then become used to the alias catching your mistakes, you'll be in for a rude awakening.

– Baard Kopperud
Jun 7 '13 at 13:41

add a comment |

Is there a good way to alias the command cp file1 file2 to cp -i file1 file2?

edited 2 hours ago

Rui F Ribeiro

39.6k1479132

asked Jun 7 '13 at 8:29

James Shapiro

15326

Is there a good way to alias the command cp file1 file2 to cp -i file1 file2?

shell alias cp

edited 2 hours ago

Rui F Ribeiro

39.6k1479132

asked Jun 7 '13 at 8:29

James Shapiro

15326

edited 2 hours ago

Rui F Ribeiro

39.6k1479132

asked Jun 7 '13 at 8:29

James Shapiro

15326

edited 2 hours ago

Rui F Ribeiro

39.6k1479132

edited 2 hours ago

Rui F Ribeiro

39.6k1479132

edited 2 hours ago

Rui F Ribeiro

39.6k1479132

asked Jun 7 '13 at 8:29

James Shapiro

15326

asked Jun 7 '13 at 8:29

James Shapiro

15326

asked Jun 7 '13 at 8:29

James Shapiro

15326

3

It's a great idea to alias destructive commands like cp, mv and rm - but don't depend on it... especially not as root! Because one day you'll be working at a computer without the alias you expect, and if you've then become used to the alias catching your mistakes, you'll be in for a rude awakening.

– Baard Kopperud
Jun 7 '13 at 13:41

add a comment |

3

It's a great idea to alias destructive commands like cp, mv and rm - but don't depend on it... especially not as root! Because one day you'll be working at a computer without the alias you expect, and if you've then become used to the alias catching your mistakes, you'll be in for a rude awakening.

– Baard Kopperud
Jun 7 '13 at 13:41

It's a great idea to alias destructive commands like cp, mv and rm - but don't depend on it... especially not as root! Because one day you'll be working at a computer without the alias you expect, and if you've then become used to the alias catching your mistakes, you'll be in for a rude awakening.

– Baard Kopperud
Jun 7 '13 at 13:41

add a comment |

3 Answers
3

active

oldest

votes

You should put an alias in your start up script:

alias cp='cp -i'

You can put this directly in ~/.bashrc, but I have in my ~/.bashrc:

if [ -f ~/.bash_aliases ]; then

    . ~/.bash_aliases

fi

and in ~/.bash_aliases I have:

alias realias='source ~/.bash_aliases'

alias cp='cp -i'

alias rm='rm -i'

and when I have added/changed things to that file I do realias (that does not remove aliases from the running shell you have taken out, for that use unalias).

If you do man bash and search for aliases you will not find examples but:

For almost every purpose, aliases are superseded by shell functions

The (`bash`) shell function alternative for the above alias is:



cp () { command cp -i "$@" ; }

shell functions are more powerful, but for simple things where aliases suffice.

I still tend to use them.

edited Mar 4 '14 at 6:41

answered Jun 7 '13 at 8:36

Anthon

60.6k17102165

add a comment |

If you are using bash, the answers by Anthon and michas will work fine. However, if you are using csh or tcsh, the command to add will be

alias cp "cp -i"

and you will add it in your .cshrc file.

answered Jun 7 '13 at 14:49

unxnut

3,6822919

1

Someone who is a Unix novice is likely to be using a bash-like shell, but +1 for completeness' sake :)

– a CVn
Jun 7 '13 at 17:38

Thanks Michael. However, the novice works in whatever is given. And that depends mostly on the sys admins. Interestingly, on our campus, students get csh (not even tcsh) as their default shell working on Solaris. And since the original posting said Unix novice, I figured I should at least add my two cents worth.

– unxnut
Jun 7 '13 at 17:51

add a comment |

 alias cp="cp -i"

Put this line in your shell startup script. (probably ~/.bashrc)

edited Jun 7 '13 at 22:18

answered Jun 7 '13 at 8:37

michas

15.2k33772

add a comment |

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3 Answers
3

active

oldest

votes

3 Answers
3

active

oldest

votes

You should put an alias in your start up script:

alias cp='cp -i'

You can put this directly in ~/.bashrc, but I have in my ~/.bashrc:

if [ -f ~/.bash_aliases ]; then

    . ~/.bash_aliases

fi

and in ~/.bash_aliases I have:

alias realias='source ~/.bash_aliases'

alias cp='cp -i'

alias rm='rm -i'

and when I have added/changed things to that file I do realias (that does not remove aliases from the running shell you have taken out, for that use unalias).

If you do man bash and search for aliases you will not find examples but:

For almost every purpose, aliases are superseded by shell functions

The (`bash`) shell function alternative for the above alias is:



cp () { command cp -i "$@" ; }

shell functions are more powerful, but for simple things where aliases suffice.

I still tend to use them.

edited Mar 4 '14 at 6:41

answered Jun 7 '13 at 8:36

Anthon

60.6k17102165

add a comment |

You should put an alias in your start up script:

alias cp='cp -i'

You can put this directly in ~/.bashrc, but I have in my ~/.bashrc:

if [ -f ~/.bash_aliases ]; then

    . ~/.bash_aliases

fi

and in ~/.bash_aliases I have:

alias realias='source ~/.bash_aliases'

alias cp='cp -i'

alias rm='rm -i'

and when I have added/changed things to that file I do realias (that does not remove aliases from the running shell you have taken out, for that use unalias).

If you do man bash and search for aliases you will not find examples but:

For almost every purpose, aliases are superseded by shell functions

The (`bash`) shell function alternative for the above alias is:



cp () { command cp -i "$@" ; }

shell functions are more powerful, but for simple things where aliases suffice.

I still tend to use them.

edited Mar 4 '14 at 6:41

answered Jun 7 '13 at 8:36

Anthon

60.6k17102165

add a comment |

You should put an alias in your start up script:

alias cp='cp -i'

You can put this directly in ~/.bashrc, but I have in my ~/.bashrc:

if [ -f ~/.bash_aliases ]; then

    . ~/.bash_aliases

fi

and in ~/.bash_aliases I have:

alias realias='source ~/.bash_aliases'

alias cp='cp -i'

alias rm='rm -i'

and when I have added/changed things to that file I do realias (that does not remove aliases from the running shell you have taken out, for that use unalias).

If you do man bash and search for aliases you will not find examples but:

For almost every purpose, aliases are superseded by shell functions

The (`bash`) shell function alternative for the above alias is:



cp () { command cp -i "$@" ; }

shell functions are more powerful, but for simple things where aliases suffice.

I still tend to use them.

edited Mar 4 '14 at 6:41

answered Jun 7 '13 at 8:36

Anthon

60.6k17102165

You should put an alias in your start up script:

alias cp='cp -i'

You can put this directly in ~/.bashrc, but I have in my ~/.bashrc:

if [ -f ~/.bash_aliases ]; then

    . ~/.bash_aliases

fi

and in ~/.bash_aliases I have:

alias realias='source ~/.bash_aliases'

alias cp='cp -i'

alias rm='rm -i'

and when I have added/changed things to that file I do realias (that does not remove aliases from the running shell you have taken out, for that use unalias).

If you do man bash and search for aliases you will not find examples but:

For almost every purpose, aliases are superseded by shell functions

The (`bash`) shell function alternative for the above alias is:



cp () { command cp -i "$@" ; }

shell functions are more powerful, but for simple things where aliases suffice.

I still tend to use them.

edited Mar 4 '14 at 6:41

answered Jun 7 '13 at 8:36

Anthon

60.6k17102165

edited Mar 4 '14 at 6:41

answered Jun 7 '13 at 8:36

Anthon

60.6k17102165

answered Jun 7 '13 at 8:36

Anthon

60.6k17102165

answered Jun 7 '13 at 8:36

Anthon

60.6k17102165

add a comment |

If you are using bash, the answers by Anthon and michas will work fine. However, if you are using csh or tcsh, the command to add will be

alias cp "cp -i"

and you will add it in your .cshrc file.

answered Jun 7 '13 at 14:49

unxnut

3,6822919

1

Someone who is a Unix novice is likely to be using a bash-like shell, but +1 for completeness' sake :)

– a CVn
Jun 7 '13 at 17:38

Thanks Michael. However, the novice works in whatever is given. And that depends mostly on the sys admins. Interestingly, on our campus, students get csh (not even tcsh) as their default shell working on Solaris. And since the original posting said Unix novice, I figured I should at least add my two cents worth.

– unxnut
Jun 7 '13 at 17:51

add a comment |

If you are using bash, the answers by Anthon and michas will work fine. However, if you are using csh or tcsh, the command to add will be

alias cp "cp -i"

and you will add it in your .cshrc file.

answered Jun 7 '13 at 14:49

unxnut

3,6822919

1

Someone who is a Unix novice is likely to be using a bash-like shell, but +1 for completeness' sake :)

– a CVn
Jun 7 '13 at 17:38

Thanks Michael. However, the novice works in whatever is given. And that depends mostly on the sys admins. Interestingly, on our campus, students get csh (not even tcsh) as their default shell working on Solaris. And since the original posting said Unix novice, I figured I should at least add my two cents worth.

– unxnut
Jun 7 '13 at 17:51

add a comment |

If you are using bash, the answers by Anthon and michas will work fine. However, if you are using csh or tcsh, the command to add will be

alias cp "cp -i"

and you will add it in your .cshrc file.

answered Jun 7 '13 at 14:49

unxnut

3,6822919

If you are using bash, the answers by Anthon and michas will work fine. However, if you are using csh or tcsh, the command to add will be

alias cp "cp -i"

and you will add it in your .cshrc file.

answered Jun 7 '13 at 14:49

unxnut

3,6822919

answered Jun 7 '13 at 14:49

unxnut

3,6822919

answered Jun 7 '13 at 14:49

unxnut

3,6822919

answered Jun 7 '13 at 14:49

unxnut

3,6822919

1

Someone who is a Unix novice is likely to be using a bash-like shell, but +1 for completeness' sake :)

– a CVn
Jun 7 '13 at 17:38

Thanks Michael. However, the novice works in whatever is given. And that depends mostly on the sys admins. Interestingly, on our campus, students get csh (not even tcsh) as their default shell working on Solaris. And since the original posting said Unix novice, I figured I should at least add my two cents worth.

– unxnut
Jun 7 '13 at 17:51

add a comment |

1

Someone who is a Unix novice is likely to be using a bash-like shell, but +1 for completeness' sake :)

– a CVn
Jun 7 '13 at 17:38

Thanks Michael. However, the novice works in whatever is given. And that depends mostly on the sys admins. Interestingly, on our campus, students get csh (not even tcsh) as their default shell working on Solaris. And since the original posting said Unix novice, I figured I should at least add my two cents worth.

– unxnut
Jun 7 '13 at 17:51

Someone who is a Unix novice is likely to be using a bash-like shell, but +1 for completeness' sake :)

– a CVn
Jun 7 '13 at 17:38

Thanks Michael. However, the novice works in whatever is given. And that depends mostly on the sys admins. Interestingly, on our campus, students get csh (not even tcsh) as their default shell working on Solaris. And since the original posting said Unix novice, I figured I should at least add my two cents worth.

– unxnut
Jun 7 '13 at 17:51

add a comment |

 alias cp="cp -i"

Put this line in your shell startup script. (probably ~/.bashrc)

edited Jun 7 '13 at 22:18

answered Jun 7 '13 at 8:37

michas

15.2k33772

add a comment |

 alias cp="cp -i"

Put this line in your shell startup script. (probably ~/.bashrc)

edited Jun 7 '13 at 22:18

answered Jun 7 '13 at 8:37

michas

15.2k33772

add a comment |

 alias cp="cp -i"

Put this line in your shell startup script. (probably ~/.bashrc)

edited Jun 7 '13 at 22:18

answered Jun 7 '13 at 8:37

michas

15.2k33772

 alias cp="cp -i"

Put this line in your shell startup script. (probably ~/.bashrc)

edited Jun 7 '13 at 22:18

answered Jun 7 '13 at 8:37

michas

15.2k33772

edited Jun 7 '13 at 22:18

answered Jun 7 '13 at 8:37

michas

15.2k33772

answered Jun 7 '13 at 8:37

michas

15.2k33772

answered Jun 7 '13 at 8:37

michas

15.2k33772

add a comment |

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