- 1 year ago
What is cp -f option in makefile
In a makefile, the cp -f
command is used to copy files with the -f
(force) option. Let's break down what each part means:
cp
:cp
is the command-line utility in Unix-like operating systems (including Linux) that is used to copy files and directories.-f
option: The-f
option is a flag or option that stands for "force." When used with thecp
command, it forces the copy operation to proceed even if it would overwrite an existing file or directory. It ensures that the destination file is replaced with the source file, regardless of any warnings or conflicts.
When a makefile includes a line like cp -f source_file destination_file
, it means that the makefile is invoking the cp
command with the -f
option to copy the source_file
to the destination_file
, replacing it if it already exists.
Using the -f
option is useful in automated build processes or makefiles, where you want to ensure that files are always copied or updated without prompting for confirmation or encountering errors due to existing files.