"cp -i -f": -f does not override -i like it does in other coreutils

[Nathan O'Sullivan]

In some environments, cp / mv / rm will be aliased to 'cp -i' 'mv -i' 'rm -i' to reduce the chance of data loss.

mv and rm allow -f to force overwrite (even when -i is used); but cp does not - which is both inconsistent with the other tools and annoying in such alias'd environments. Example:

nats@nathan:~$ bash --norc
bash-4.2$ alias cp='cp -i'
bash-4.2$ alias rm='rm -i'
bash-4.2$ alias mv='mv -i'
bash-4.2$ touch file1
bash-4.2$ touch file2
bash-4.2$ cp -f file1 file2
cp: overwrite `file2'? y
bash-4.2$ mv -f file1 file2
bash-4.2$ rm -f file2

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: coreutils 8.5-1ubuntu6
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-14.23-generic 3.0.9
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-14-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4
Architecture: amd64
Date: Fri Feb 3 15:44:01 2012
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Release amd64 (20111012)
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_AU:en
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_AU.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: coreutils
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[C de-Avillez (hggdh2)]

Thank you for opening this bug and helping make Ubuntu better.

Indeed 'cp' behaviour is different.

cp: specifying '-i' (alternatively, '-f') does not override a previous '-f' (alternatively, '-i)
mv, rm: the final '-i' or '-f' in the parameter's sequence will win

This will need a bit of re-reading the info pages -- these options are not quite the same on all commands.

Now you do realise that you can use '-nf' as an override on 'cp', right?

For now, marking Confirmed/WishList
rm: