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To copy a directory and its contents cp requires a -r switch.
To move a directory and its contents mv does not require a -r switch.
What is the reason for this?
EDIT: Don't worry. Despite searching, I found out after posting this question that it has been answered here.
When you use the mv command you're just changing metadata about the top level directory or individual file, when you're using the cp command you're literally making copies of a individual file or a directory tree. In order to differentiate between these two modes, the cp command needs you to specify which behavior you want to enlist.
You can view the metadata using stat.
$ stat /home/vagrant/adir
File: ‘/home/vagrant/adir’
Size: 4096 Blocks: 8 IO Block: 4096 directory
Device: fd00h/64768d Inode: 794269 Links: 2
Access: (0755/drwxr-xr-x) Uid: ( 0/ root) Gid: ( 0/ root)
Access: 2018-07-14 10:57:17.103849041 -0400
Modify: 2018-07-14 10:57:17.103849041 -0400
Change: 2018-07-14 10:57:17.103849041 -0400
Birth: -
After we move it:
$ stat /tmp/adir
File: ‘/tmp/adir’
Size: 4096 Blocks: 8 IO Block: 4096 directory
Device: fd00h/64768d Inode: 794269 Links: 2
Access: (0755/drwxr-xr-x) Uid: ( 0/ root) Gid: ( 0/ root)
Access: 2018-07-14 10:57:17.103849041 -0400
Modify: 2018-07-14 10:57:17.103849041 -0400
Change: 2018-07-14 10:57:53.323950044 -0400
Birth: -
The mv command is just manipulating the metadata regarding the directory, and so doesn't need to actually make copies of anything to do this work.
