Overview
cpio operates as a stream-oriented archiver, reading file lists from standard input or writing archives to standard output. This provides powerful flexibility when used with other commands (e.g., find) via pipes.
Key Features
- Three main operating modes: copy-out (-o), copy-in (-i), copy-pass (-p)
- Flexible file list processing via pipes
- Support for various archive formats
- Used for backups, restores, and copying directory structures
Main Options
cpio requires an option to specify the operating mode and offers various auxiliary options.
Operating Modes
General Options
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Description:
`cpio` Executes the command.
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Usage Examples
Various usage examples utilizing cpio's three main modes.
Archive all files in the current directory
find . -print0 | cpio -ov0 > archive.cpioGenerates a list of all files in the current directory using the find command and archives them into archive.cpio using cpio -ov. The -0 option ensures safe handling of filenames with spaces.
Extract files from an archive
cpio -ivd < archive.cpioExtracts all files from the created archive.cpio into the current directory. The -d option automatically creates necessary directories.
Copy directory structure to another location
find . -depth -print0 | cpio -pd0v /new/directoryCopies all files and directory structures from the current directory to the /new/directory path. The -p mode copies directly without creating an archive, -d creates directories, and -v provides verbose output.
Extract only files matching a specific pattern from an archive
cpio -ivd 'report*' < archive.cpioExtracts only files starting with 'report' from archive.cpio. Wildcards can be used.
Tips & Precautions
cpio is a powerful tool, but it's important to understand its correct usage.
Useful Tips for Using cpio
- Use with the `find` command: Since `cpio` receives file lists from standard input, it's common to use the `find` command to generate a file list based on complex criteria and then pipe it to `cpio`.
- Utilize the `-0` option: When filenames may contain spaces or special characters, it's crucial to use `find -print0` in conjunction with `cpio -0` to ensure filenames are processed correctly.
- Importance of mode selection: The three modes `-o`, `-i`, and `-p` have distinct purposes, so selecting the correct mode for your task is essential.
- Absolute vs. Relative Paths: `cpio` uses the paths stored in the archive as they are. If you use relative paths like `find .` when creating an archive, files will be extracted relative to the current directory. Archiving with absolute paths will result in extraction using absolute paths.