Move file to external hard drive sub-directory

Question

I am looking to copy a file from a sub-directory on my Ubuntu 16.04 system to an external USB drive (this one) using the CLI. The drive has the following file and folder structure:

/Backup
/Backup/Jan_02_2016
/Backup/Jun_02_2016
robert_11042016.pdf
pre_install_15102014.pdf
Magazine_2012.pdf

I need to create a new sub-directory named /Backup/Dec_02_2016. Then I need to copy /home/User_F_Readout/Downloads/Temp_Report_56_09242016.txt to a new sub-directory /Backup/Dec_02_2016 on the usb drive.

Previously, I have only copied files to the main directory of the external drive, so I did not need to create sub-directories - I would just mount the drive with

mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/usb

and then just copy the file to /mnt/usb. This would place the file in the main directory of the external USB drive and then I could unmount.

Problem:

Here, the problem I am facing is that I now need to place the file in the subdirectory /Backup/Dec_02_2016 and not in the main directory of the drive. I had a look here but it does not indicate how to mount the drive to a mount point with the proper sub-directory structure.

Question:

Is there a way to place this file directly in the sub-directory? Or do I need to place it in the main directory and then move it?

score 2 · Accepted Answer · edited Jun 12 '20 at 14:37

2

Mount the device as /mnt/usb
Create a folder
```
mkdir -p  /mnt/usb/Backup/Dec_02_2016
```

Copy to the recently mounted device

cp -p /home/User_F_Readout/Downloads/Temp_Report_56_09242016.txt /mnt/usb/Backup/Dec_02_2016

edited Jun 12 '20 at 14:37

Community

1

answered Nov 14 '16 at 18:46

Larry R. Irwin

377
3
7

Thanks! Why did you use `cp -p` instead of `cp`? – edesz Nov 14 '16 at 18:53
That way it preserves the specified attributes of the original files, in case there is any. – M. Becerra Nov 14 '16 at 18:59
Thanks. Then should we always use `cp -p`? i.e. is `cp -p` safer than `cp`? – edesz Nov 14 '16 at 19:04
Only if you intend to keep all existing permissions. Not always desirable if you're copy files to a drive you might move to a different machine (with different users and groups) – Tom McKenzie Oct 11 '18 at 07:13

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Apr 18 '19 at 05:31

1

You can simply use move command and set path of hard disk.

sudo mv fromPath/ /media/username/harddisk name/

Thanks.

answered Apr 18 '19 at 05:31

Sohel Khan

111
1

Move file to external hard drive sub-directory

2 Answers2