help w/some mv or cp switches

[schwim]

Crap.

I need some help with some mv or cp switches. I'm trying to overwrite a directory with a newer version, but I can't seem to figure out what I'm doing wrong:

I've got /home/schwim/gallery
I've got a new gal dir at /home/schwim/gallery2

I tried cp gallery2 gallery
cp -f gallery2 gallery
cp -rf gallery2 gallery

but the files are not updating. My new files are disappearing, but I have no clue to where

I remember once that my problem was caused by not using /gallery. Is this the case this time? I'd like to know before I try it and I can't find my solution via the Goog.

thanks,
json

[glennzo]

Make some new folders to try the commands in. Mirrors, if you will, of gallery and gallery2. That way if you screw up nothing is lost. Also, are the files in /gallery going into /gallery2 or is it the other way around. I'm not quite clear. Try the upper case R. Lower case doesn't seem to work very well for me. Seriously.

[bob]

http://www.linuxcommand.org/ Just a refresher but I constantly check it before I play too much.

[schwim]

Bob,

Very awesome site, thanks.

mv dir1 dir2


If dir2 does not exist, then dir1 is renamed dir2. If dir2 exists, the directory dir1 is created within directory dir2.

Ok, so now I know why it didn't work, however it doesn't tell me how to make it work

Anyone know how to overwrite the contents of gallery with all of the contents of gallery2?

thanks,
json

[FriedChips]

have you tried:

cp -f gallery2/* gallery/*

?

[glennzo]

I'm looking at the man pages for cp and mv. What do you think of cp -u or cp -f ?

[schwim]

Here's what I'm up to:

root@server [/home/info/public_html]# cp -ufR gallery2/* gallery/
cp: overwrite `gallery/modules/webdav/classes/WebDavHelper.class'? ^X
[3]+ Stopped cp -i -ufR gallery2/* gallery/
root@server [/home/info/public_html]#

You can see that it's begun asking me if I want to overwrite, although I'm using the force switch.

I have thousands of files in this directory. If I die when I should, I won't be done with this if I have to approve each transaction.

Note that I'm not using the interactive switch, but it's showing up when I stop the command.

Removing update and keeping the force and recursive switch doesn't resolve the issue.

I love the terminal as much as the next guy, but this is bull****.

thanks,
json

[bob]

Okay, here's what works for me:

"cp -R -T test test1"

In test, I had included two simple text docs "doc1" and "doc2". In test1, I had substituted the wording a bit but also included "doc1", "doc2" and "doc3".

After the command, I still have my original test, of course, but now test1 contains the "test" doc1, the "test" doc2 and the "test1" doc3.

Before trusting your data, give it a quick try yourself.

(Edit: BTW, that all came from 'man mv' and 'man cp', not from my grey matter - I try to avoid thinking after 9PM and before 8:58PM)

[schwim]

hey there Bob,

The T switch worked locally, but on the server I'm working on (FC4), it states that T is an invalid option

thanks,
json

[bob]

Of course, if this is a total replacement not a partial, you could always move the old gallery to /opt or wherever you want, then in your normal directory, the 'mv gallery2 gallery' would work. Finally, just "cd/opt"; "rm gallery". Probably a lot more than that involved, huh?

[schwim]

yeah, there are some files in there created during the install that need to stay in place. Unfortunately, I don't know what they're names & locations are

thanks,
json

[bob]

Brain getting foggy, but before it goes completely.... I think the problem can also be solved by 'cd /gallery2' followed by "mv * /home/schwim/gallery" . If you are within the gallery, all that stuff will be moved. I just checked and my same-named docs were replaced while the other ones in my test1 remained intact.

[schwim]

Hey there sir,

root@server [/home/info/public_html/gallery2]# mv -Rf * /home/info/public_html/gallery
mv: invalid option -- R
Try `mv --help' for more information.
root@server [/home/info/public_html/gallery2]# mv -f * /home/info/public_html/gallery
mv: cannot overwrite directory `/home/info/public_html/gallery/images'
mv: cannot overwrite directory `/home/info/public_html/gallery/install'
mv: cannot overwrite directory `/home/info/public_html/gallery/lib'
mv: cannot overwrite directory `/home/info/public_html/gallery/modules'
mv: cannot overwrite directory `/home/info/public_html/gallery/themes'
mv: cannot overwrite directory `/home/info/public_html/gallery/upgrade'
root@server [/home/info/public_html/gallery2]#

I'm to the point now that it would be quicker for me to wipe out the install, reinstall and manually add back the 100 or so pictures. I've invested an evening in attempting to find a magical switch.

I do appreciate your late night assistance sir

viva la CLI!

thanks,
json

[bob]

A bright new day has dawned! (Actually looks like might get a foot of lake-effect, but wtf)... Anyhoo....

Played a bit more this AM and looks like 'cp' instead of 'mv' is the ticket. As a test, I took a series of photos and copied them into 'test', including a mixed bag of photos that I put into a 'misc' folder within 'test'. Then, I took a different set of shots and placed them within 'test1', as well as creating a different 'misc' folder of different shots within 'test1'. Now, to the CLI stuff: I 'cd test' followed by:

[bob1@localhost test]$ cp -R * /home/bob1/test1

And Success! Immediately, all the new shots were added to 'test1' and the 'misc' folder contents were immediately added to the 'test1' misc contents. So, 'misc' in 'test' contained 50 shots, while the new 'misc' in 'test1' now contains 77 shots.

As a control, I had also copied my original 'test' into 'test-bkup' and if I cd into /home/bob1/test-bkup/test and then 'cp -R * /home/bob/test1', my contents in 'test1' remain intact.

It's a bit late in the game, but perhaps you can play with this for the next move?

[ibbo]

Sounds like a job for rsync.

Ibbo