Copy entire content from a folder to another in shell script

Question

I'm trying every single code to copy all things inside a folder to another but i can't do it! I'm trying to use the code in my terminal emulator in my android device because i need that code in my application. This is the last code i use that doesn't work:

#!/bash/sh
srcdir="/data/app"
dstdir="/sdcard/prova1"

for f in ${srcdir}/*.apk
do
    cp $f $dstdir $dstfile
done

and the terminal says:

: not found
' unespectedsyntax error: 'do

can anyone help me? These are the possibility that could be good:

1) Copy all files in the /data/app folder to /sdcard/prova1

2) Copy directly the folder app in prova1

3) Use a java code that do one of these two things..

I have root so i can do this operation.

yes this is my goal.. i have wrong.. the only two var are the first two on top of script — David_D, Nov 26 '13 at 20:50
what is strange is that if i try with a single file works:`cp /data/app/com.ab.application.apk /sdcard/prova1` but for all app not. — David_D, Nov 26 '13 at 20:53

Lucio Mollinedo · Answer 1 · 2018-09-03T16:37:07.960

17

None of these answers worked for me for recursive copy. Found this in a script in one of my libraries and thought I'd share it (with a subfolder example for both the source and destination, which is what I needed):

SOURCE="/my/folder"
DESTINATION="/my/destination"

cp -r "$SOURCE/subdir/"* "$DESTINATION/another_sub/"

With this, every subfolder and every file was copied.

I don't know why but the asterisk outside the quotes in the source did the magic for me (using bash 4.3.11 here)

edited Sep 03 '18 at 16:37

answered Apr 04 '17 at 03:26

Lucio Mollinedo

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2

It's because wildcards are not interpreted inside a quoted text. – Amessihel Nov 08 '22 at 18:51

score 2 · Answer 2 · edited Apr 06 '23 at 15:00

2

how about this, where src and dest are directories:

cp -r src dest

edited Apr 06 '23 at 15:00

Amessihel

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answered Nov 26 '13 at 20:27

Michael Ford

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score 1 · Answer 3 · answered Nov 26 '13 at 20:29

1

Your file contains carriage returns, which is why you're getting these trashed error messages. Use tr -d '\r' <yourscript >fixedscript to get rid of them.

As for your script, the correct way to do it is

#!/bin/sh
cp /data/app/*.apk /sdcard/prova1

While the smallest fix to make your version work is

#!/bin/sh
srcdir="/data/app"
dstdir="/sdcard/prova1"

for f in ${srcdir}/*.apk
do
    cp $f $dstdir
done

answered Nov 26 '13 at 20:29

that other guy

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One additional step is needed: the files need to be copied to `$dstdir/app`, or more generally `$dstdir/$(base name $srcdir)`, I think. – chepner Nov 26 '13 at 20:32
This one `cp /data/app/*.apk /sdcard/prova1` would be the best way for me but doesn't work.. – David_D Nov 26 '13 at 20:39
@David_D Why not? are you trying to copy recursively, e.g. `/data/app/foo/bar/baz.apk` as well? – that other guy Nov 26 '13 at 21:15

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Nov 26 '13 at 20:48

0

Here's a complex method to copy an entire source tree:

cd $srcdir && tar cf - . | ( cd $dstdir && tar xf - )

This tars the contents of the src directory to stdout, then pipes that to a subshell where you change to the dst dir and untar from stdin.

answered Nov 26 '13 at 20:48

glenn jackman

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so this copy the entire folder to another? – David_D Nov 26 '13 at 20:50

score 0 · Answer 5 · answered Nov 07 '14 at 15:18

0

I think using rsync resolves your issue. Try something like this: rsync -avz source_path dest_path

answered Nov 07 '14 at 15:18

Abhi

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score 0 · Answer 6 · edited Jan 29 '17 at 07:58

Just try out below code. copy and paste that code in a text editor and save them as your_file_name.sh

Then try to run on terminal sh ./your_file_name.sh

cd "/data/app"

dstdir="/sdcard/prova1"


for f in *.apk

do

   cp -v "$f" ${dstdir} "${f%.apk}".apk

done

echo " "

echo "File copied successfully !!"

This will copy your file from source directory to your destination folder or directory.

Copy entire content from a folder to another in shell script

6 Answers6