copying multiple files

[Grant Edwards]

On 2016-11-21, David Henderson <dhenderson at digital-pipe.com> wrote:
> On 11/21/16, Grant Edwards <grant.b.edwards at gmail.com> wrote:
>> On 2016-11-21, David Henderson <dhenderson at digital-pipe.com> wrote:
>>
>>> cp -f /tmp/test/{a.txt,b.txt,c.txt} /tmp/test2/{1.txt,2.txt,3.txt} /tmp/dest
>>
>>> This keeps failing.  Is this implemented in BB?
>>
>> Try this:
>>
>>    $ busybox ash
>>    ~ $ echo /tmp/test/{a.txt,b.txt,c.txt}
>>    /tmp/test/{a.txt,b.txt,c.txt}
>>
>> It appears that the busybox shell does not implement bash/C shell
>> alternation (aka "brace expansion").  None of the busybox builds I
>> have on hand do anyway, and I don't see any options in the config file
>> to enable such a feature...

> Hey Grant, thanks for the reply!  Unfortunately that command will just
> echo what you type to the screen, not actually copy anything.

I know.  I was showing you how to determine if alternation (brace
expansion) wasn't happenning.  It doesn't on any of my builds of
busybox.

> Any other thoughts?

Don't try to use alternation:

  cp -f /tmp/test/[abc].txt /tmp/test2/[123].txt /tmp/dest

-- 
Grant Edwards               grant.b.edwards        Yow! ... I think I'd
                                  at               better go back to my DESK
                              gmail.com            and toy with a few common
                                                   MISAPPREHENSIONS ...