system "copy" call (under linux)

[Ba11ousai]

Im trying to copy a file to a new directory, the file name is in a variable ($file). What am i doing worng??:
I've tried these:
system "cp $file ./scratch/file.out";
system "cp `$file` ./scratch/file.out";
help please...

 

[Loon]

Have you tried:

`cp $file ./scratch/file.out`;

The first system command should have worked I think.. but maybe backticks will have more success.

Also as you are using a relative path are you sure you have permissions to write to scratch/file.out and that a scratch/file.out exists below the directory where your script is located?

Maybe better to use the absolute path? Something like (depending on your config):

system "cp $file /tmp/scratch/file.out";

Hope that helps
Loon

 

[hmerrill]

The Perl Cookbook Recipe 9.3 "Copying or Moving a File" suggests using the File::Copy module - you can get the perldoc documentation by doing "perldoc File::Copy". *Or*, the other option it suggests is using the "system" command as you've tried to do - here's how it suggests using system:

system("cp $oldfile $newfile" ### unix

The Programming Perl 2nd edition p.230 describes using the "system" command - here's what it suggests:

@args = ("command", "arg1", "arg2"
system(@args) == 0
or die "system @args failed: $?";

So, following that, I would do something like this for your cp command:

@args = ("cp", "$oldfile", "$newfile"
system(@args) == 0
or die "system @args failed: $?";

HTH.
Hardy Merrill
Mission Critical Linux, Inc.

http://www.missioncriticallinux.com

 

[tsdragon]

Remember that, if you're executing the command from a cgi script, your current directory is your cgi directory. So unless the file you're trying to copy is in your cgi directory you'll need to include a path to that too. It's usually safer to use absolute paths in a cgi script. Tracy Dryden
tracy@bydisn.com

http://www.bydisn.com

Meddle not in the affairs of dragons,
For you are crunchy, and good with mustard.

 

[hmerrill]

I second Tracy's comment - whenever possible I *always* use absolute paths with filenames, whether I'm writing cgi scripts or just plain perl scripts, and I rarely(never say never) have problems.
Hardy Merrill
Mission Critical Linux, Inc.

http://www.missioncriticallinux.com