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I want execute this cp debian.master/abi/2.6.38*/amd64/generic debian.master/abi/2.6.38*/amd64/core2 but bash gives error in second *:

cp: cannot create regular file `debian.master/abi/2.6.38*/amd64/core2': No such file or directory

How can I copy one file in same dir but when other name without to change of dir nor to write the entire folder name?

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2 Answers

up vote 3 down vote accepted

The error is because the shell try to expand * glob character before executing the command, and the destination do not exist yet. One possibility to overcome this would be

cp debian.master/abi/2.6.38*/amd64/generic "$(eval echo debian.master/abi/2.6.38*/amd64)"/core2

More simply you can do:

( cd debian.master/abi/2.6.38*/amd64/; cp generic core2 )

Or also

dir=debian.master/abi/2.6.38*/amd64/
cp "$dir"/generic "$dir"/core2
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Thanks, the second method is more simple but it would be: ( cd debian.master/abi/2.6.38*/amd64/; cp generic core2; ) – Simón May 6 '11 at 14:50
Ah, ok. I would not spawn a subshell, but in such a case the cd remain in effect. I edit the answer – enzotib May 6 '11 at 14:52
The first one, using eval, is dangerous. eval should be avoided at all cost. The last one won't work since glob expansion does not occur in variable assignments or inside quotes. I'd do for f in debian.master/abi/2.6.38*/amd64/generic; do cp "$f" "${f%/generic}/core2"; done – geirha May 6 '11 at 21:06
@gheira: ok for eval, but the last one works imho, as long as the * is not quoted and the expansion gives only one string, as I think the user suppose. – enzotib May 7 '11 at 5:19
up vote 0 down vote

Assuming debian.master/abi/2.6.38* expands to multiple directories:

for dir in debian.master/abi/2.6.38*/amd64; do cp $dir/generic $dir/core2; done
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