How can I copy a file from another directory to the current one?

Question

I have this problem as part of a school assignment:

NOTE: In case it's hard to read in the image above, here's the directory tree:

$ tree
.
`-- sample_dir1
    `-- sample_dir
        |-- admin
        |-- cambridge
        |   |-- cafeteria
        |   |-- library
        |   `-- security
        |       |-- annex
        |       |-- building
        |       `-- parking
        |-- faculty
        |-- history.exe
        |-- markham
        |   |-- annex
        |   |-- building1
        |   `-- parking
        |-- oxford
        |   |-- outline.doc
        |   |-- programming
        |   |   `-- report.pdf
        |   `-- security
        `-- stenton
            |-- gen_ed
            `-- lib_arts
                |-- english.txt
                `-- match.doc

15 directories, 11 files

I tried doing the command:

$ cp ../cambridge/security/parking ./parking2

...but it isn't working. The question in the image above states that the current directory is stenton, and that we need to make a copy of the file named parking (from the security directory), and to name the new file parking2, and place it in the current directory, stenton, using relative pathnames.

What am I doing wrong? My cp command seems to be correct.

Answer 1

The problem you're running into seems to be with your homework program.

From your comment on the other answer, you tried:

cp ../cambridge/security/parking ./parking2

This is a perfectly valid command in a normal shell. However the issue is likely that your testing program doesn't want the ./ on the ./parking2.

When specifying the path to a file (with virtually any program, not just cp), if there is no leading / on the path, it implicitly becomes ./. So you should be good if you change your command to:

cp ../cambridge/security/parking parking2

Answer 2

This is a very elementary question. I would read up on the man pages for this one. But nonetheless, here is your answer:

cp <SOURCE> .

For example:

I have a file in this directory: /home/rkah/sample1 The file is called: sample

Say if I wanted to go to my home directory which is: /home/rkah/ and copy sample to /home/rkah/, I would run this command:

cp ~/sample/sample . The . symbol stands for present working directory or the directory im currently in.