In AlmaLinux (like other RHEL-based distributions), the cp command is typically aliased to run in interactive mode by default, which means it prompts before overwriting files. This guide shows how to bypass the confirmation and force overwrites.
🔍 Check if cp is Aliased (Common on AlmaLinux)
Run this command:
aliasYou will likely see:
alias cp='cp -i'This means every time you run cp, it runs as cp -i (interactive), asking for confirmation before overwriting.
❌ Incorrect Method: Using yes Pipe
Trying:
yes | cp -r bin/ test/Does not bypass the alias or confirmation.
✅ Recommended Options
Option 1: Use a Backslash (\) to Bypass the Alias
\cp -r bin/ test/The backslash tells the shell to use the actual binary (/bin/cp) instead of the aliased version.
Option 2: Temporarily Unalias cp for the Session
unalias cp
cp -r bin/ test/This disables the cp -i alias only for your current session or script.
🧹 Optional: Remove the Alias Permanently
If you prefer not to have cp aliased at all, you can remove or comment it from your shell config:
Edit your shell profile (for example, if you’re using bash):
nano ~/.bashrcLook for a line like:
alias cp='cp -i'And comment it out:
# alias cp='cp -i'Then reload your shell:
source ~/.bashrc🧾 Summary Table (AlmaLinux)
| Action | Command |
|---|---|
| Check alias | alias |
| Force overwrite with backslash | \cp -r source/ dest/ |
| Unalias temporarily | unalias cp |
| Remove alias permanently | Edit ~/.bashrc and remove alias |
| Help | man cp |