cpio (GNU cpio) 2.11 Copyright (C) 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>. This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law. Written by Phil Nelson, David MacKenzie, John Oleynick, and Sergey Poznyakoff.

Usage: cpio [OPTION...] [destination-directory] GNU `cpio' copies files to and from archives Examples: # Copy files named in name-list to the archive cpio -o < name-list [> archive] # Extract files from the archive cpio -i [< archive] # Copy files named in name-list to destination-directory cpio -p destination-directory < name-list Main operation mode: -i, --extract Extract files from an archive (run in copy-in mode) -o, --create Create the archive (run in copy-out mode) -p, --pass-through Run in copy-pass mode -t, --list Print a table of contents of the input Operation modifiers valid in any mode: --block-size=BLOCK-SIZE Set the I/O block size to BLOCK-SIZE * 512 bytes -B Set the I/O block size to 5120 bytes -c Use the old portable (ASCII) archive format -C, --io-size=NUMBER Set the I/O block size to the given NUMBER of bytes --force-local Archive file is local, even if its name contains colons -f, --nonmatching Only copy files that do not match any of the given patterns -F, --file=[[USER@]HOST:]FILE-NAME Use this FILE-NAME instead of standard input or output. Optional USER and HOST specify the user and host names in case of a remote archive -H, --format=FORMAT Use given archive FORMAT -M, --message=STRING Print STRING when the end of a volume of the backup media is reached -n, --numeric-uid-gid In the verbose table of contents listing, show numeric UID and GID --quiet Do not print the number of blocks copied --rsh-command=COMMAND Use remote COMMAND instead of rsh -v, --verbose Verbosely list the files processed -V, --dot Print a "." for each file processed -W, --warning=FLAG Control warning display. Currently FLAG is one of 'none', 'truncate', 'all'. Multiple options accumulate. Operation modifiers valid only in copy-in mode: -b, --swap Swap both halfwords of words and bytes of halfwords in the data. Equivalent to -sS -r, --rename Interactively rename files -s, --swap-bytes Swap the bytes of each halfword in the files -S, --swap-halfwords Swap the halfwords of each word (4 bytes) in the files --to-stdout Extract files to standard output -E, --pattern-file=FILE Read additional patterns specifying filenames to extract or list from FILE --only-verify-crc When reading a CRC format archive, only verify the CRC's of each file in the archive, don't actually extract the files Operation modifiers valid only in copy-out mode: -A, --append Append to an existing archive. -O [[USER@]HOST:]FILE-NAME Archive filename to use instead of standard output. Optional USER and HOST specify the user and host names in case of a remote archive Operation modifiers valid only in copy-pass mode: -l, --link Link files instead of copying them, when possible Operation modifiers valid in copy-in and copy-out modes: --absolute-filenames Do not strip file system prefix components from the file names --no-absolute-filenames Create all files relative to the current directory Operation modifiers valid in copy-out and copy-pass modes: -0, --null A list of filenames is terminated by a null character instead of a newline -a, --reset-access-time Reset the access times of files after reading them -I [[USER@]HOST:]FILE-NAME Archive filename to use instead of standard input. Optional USER and HOST specify the user and host names in case of a remote archive -L, --dereference Dereference symbolic links (copy the files that they point to instead of copying the links). -R, --owner=[USER][:.][GROUP] Set the ownership of all files created to the specified USER and/or GROUP Operation modifiers valid in copy-in and copy-pass modes: -d, --make-directories Create leading directories where needed --extract-over-symlinks Force writing over symbolic links -m, --preserve-modification-time Retain previous file modification times when creating files --no-preserve-owner Do not change the ownership of the files --sparse Write files with large blocks of zeros as sparse files -u, --unconditional Replace all files unconditionally -?, --help give this help list --usage give a short usage message --version print program version Mandatory or optional arguments to long options are also mandatory or optional for any corresponding short options. Report bugs to <bug-cpio@gnu.org>.