Windows xcopy equivalent in Linux
Copies directories with more control than cp — supports sync, progress display, resume, and remote copying.
xcopy
rsync -av
rsync -av
rsync -av
Overview
What this command does
On Windows, "xcopy" is used to advanced copy with sync & progress. On Linux, the closest practical mapping shown here is "rsync -av". Copies directories with more control than cp — supports sync, progress display, resume, and remote copying. This reference is grouped under File Management → File System.
Windows → Linux context
What changes when you use this on Linux?
Equivalent task, different tool
Windows xcopy maps to rsync -av for this task. Treat this as a workflow mapping rather than a character-for-character syntax translation.
Portable across the compared distros
The Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch rows use the same command in this mapping. Package availability or defaults can still vary, so check the installed tool version when an option behaves differently.
Command-specific caution
Note the trailing slash: 'rsync -av src/ dest/' copies the *contents* of src. Without the slash, it copies the folder itself inside dest.
For the broader concept behind this mapping, read Linux filesystem for Windows users.
Practical tasks
Common use cases
Advanced copy with sync & progress
Copies directories with more control than cp — supports sync, progress display, resume, and remote copying.
rsync -av
Archive mode + verbose output
rsync --progress
Show per-file transfer progress
rsync --delete
Delete files in dest not in source (true sync)
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
rsync -av Source/ Dest/
rsync -av --progress Source/ Dest/
rsync -av --delete Source/ Dest/
rsync -avz ~/Documents/ user@server:/backup/
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
# Windows: xcopy /s /e /i Source Dest
rsync -av Source/ Dest/ # copy directory
rsync -av --progress Source/ Dest/ # show progress
# Sync (delete files removed from source):
rsync -av --delete Source/ Dest/ # mirror source to dest
# Backup to a remote server over SSH:
rsync -avz ~/Documents/ user@server:/backup/Reference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
rsync -av | Archive mode + verbose output |
rsync --progress | Show per-file transfer progress |
rsync --delete | Delete files in dest not in source (true sync) |
rsync -n | Dry run — preview without copying |
rsync -avz | Compress data during transfer |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch all use "rsync -av" for this mapping. The command syntax shown here is portable across the three rows, although installed versions and system defaults can still vary.
| Distribution | Package manager / base | Equivalent command | Difference to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian/Ubuntu | same command | rsync -av |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | rsync -av |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | rsync -av |
Same command on this distribution. |
Important
What to watch out for
Keep learning