Docs

• GNU Coreutils / 11.1 cp: Copy files and directories
• GNU Coreutils / 2.6 Target directory

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Preapre src folder

run to preapre src folder

mkdir -p src/111/222/333

touch src/111/222/333/README.md

run

tree src

show

src
└── 111
    └── 222
        └── 333
            └── README.md

4 directories, 1 file

On gnu coreutils

run to copy src folder to des folder

cp -rfTv src des

show

'src' -> 'des'
'src/111' -> 'des/111'
'src/111/222' -> 'des/111/222'
'src/111/222/333' -> 'des/111/222/333'
'src/111/222/333/README.md' -> 'des/111/222/333/README.md'

run

tree des

show

des
└── 111
    └── 222
        └── 333
            └── README.md

4 directories, 1 file

Successfully copied the src folder to the des folder

The above cp -rfTv src des can also be changed to cp -rfT src des

run to copy again

cp -rfTv src des

show

'src/111/222/333/README.md' -> 'des/111/222/333/README.md'

run to copy again

cp -rfTv src des

show

'src/111/222/333/README.md' -> 'des/111/222/333/README.md'

run

tree des

show

des
└── 111
    └── 222
        └── 333
            └── README.md

4 directories, 1 file

Successfully copied the src folder to the des folder

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On uutils coreutils / from Xubuntu 25.10 beta

run

cp --version

show

cp (uutils coreutils) 0.1.0

remove des folder first

rm -rf des

run to copy src folder to des folder

cp -rfTv src des

show

cp: prefix not found

No copy of src folder to des folder

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On uutils coreutils / from Xubuntu 25.04 / download from GitHub

run to download version 0.2.2

wget -c 'https://github.com/uutils/coreutils/releases/download/0.2.2/coreutils-0.2.2-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu.tar.gz'

run to extract

tar xf coreutils-0.2.2-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu.tar.gz

run

tree coreutils-0.2.2-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu

show

coreutils-0.2.2-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
├── coreutils
├── LICENSE
├── README.md
└── README.package.md

1 directory, 4 files

run to copy src folder to des folder

./coreutils-0.2.2-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/coreutils cp -rfTv src des

show

cp: prefix not found

No copy of src folder to des folder

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Issue Description

The result of cp -rfT executed in uutils coreutils is different from the result in GNU Coreutils.

Link

• Issue #7455 - cp -r -T throws a StripPrefixError
• Ubuntu / rust-coreutils / Bugs / #2122363 - cp -T: prefix not found
• Issue #8867 - cp: -vr outputs absolute source path for files