Copy interactively - shell input

UNIX for Advanced & Expert Users
1

Hello,

I am making a script to copy files interactively from one directory to another using the "i" option because I dont want to overwrite the files.

cp -i *.html ./../otherdir/
cp: do you want to overwrite (y/n) ?

I used

cp -i *.html ./../otherdir/
ans='n'
read $ans

But the script is unable to pickup the value as "n" as a response to the
shell output -
cp: do you want to overwrite (y/n) ?

2

try using "yes" command
read man page of yes
man yes

3

yes|cp -i A B

would only give me "y" as an answer which means permission to overwrite.

I want to give "n" as an answer to the question since i dont want to overwrite -

cp : do you want to overwrite(y/n) ?

Is there some command oppsite to "yes"

4

did you tried this??

yes no|cp -i A B
5

Yes is only for affirmative answers , I want a negative answer so that the file being copied is not overwritten.

I used this - yes no|cp A B

is still overwriting file B with A.

If I give

yes no |cp -i A B

then interactive message comes.

overwrite ./a/1.txt? ki023b[/icvdev1/gr7885]>