'podman cp' copy between host and container

Signed-off-by: Qi Wang <qiwan@redhat.com>

1 files changed, 70 insertions, 10 deletions

diff --git a/docs/podman-cp.1.md b/docs/podman-cp.1.md
index 88e50e86b..37426b236 100644
--- a/docs/podman-cp.1.md
+++ b/docs/podman-cp.1.md
@@ -3,20 +3,70 @@
 ## NAME
 podman\-cp - Copy files/folders between a container and the local filesystem
 
-## Description
-We chose not to implement the `cp` feature in `podman` even though the upstream Docker
-project has it. We have a much stronger capability.  Using standard podman-mount
-and podman-umount, we can take advantage of the entire linux tool chain, rather
+## SYNOPSIS
+**podman cp [CONTAINER:]SRC_PATH [CONTAINER:]DEST_PATH**
+
+## DESCRIPTION
+Copies the contents of **SRC_PATH** to the **DEST_PATH**. You can copy from the containers's filesystem to the local machine or the reverse, from the local filesystem to the container.
+
+The CONTAINER can be a running or stopped container. The **SRC_PATH** or **DEST_PATH** can be a file or directory.
+
+The **podman cp** command assumes container paths are relative to the container's / (root) directory.
+
+This means supplying the initial forward slash is optional;
+
+The command sees **compassionate_darwin:/tmp/foo/myfile.txt** and **compassionate_darwin:tmp/foo/myfile.txt** as identical.
+
+Local machine paths can be an absolute or relative value.
+The command interprets a local machine's relative paths as relative to the current working directory where **podman cp** is run.
+
+Assuming a path separator of /, a first argument of **SRC_PATH** and second argument of **DEST_PATH**, the behavior is as follows:
+
+**SRC_PATH** specifies a file
+  - **DEST_PATH** does not exist
+	- the file is saved to a file created at **DEST_PATH**
+  - **DEST_PATH** does not exist and ends with /
+	- **DEST_PATH** is created as a directory and the file is copied into this directory using the basename from **SRC_PATH**
+  - **DEST_PATH** exists and is a file
+	- the destination is overwritten with the source file's contents
+  - **DEST_PATH** exists and is a directory
+	- the file is copied into this directory using the basename from **SRC_PATH**
+
+**SRC_PATH** specifies a directory
+  - **DEST_PATH** does not exist
+	- **DEST_PATH** is created as a directory and the contents of the source directory are copied into this directory
+  - **DEST_PATH** exists and is a file
+	- Error condition: cannot copy a directory to a file
+  - **DEST_PATH** exists and is a directory
+	- **SRC_PATH** ends with /
+		- the source directory is copied into this directory
+	- **SRC_PATH** ends with /. (that is: slash followed by dot)
+		- the content of the source directory is copied into this directory
+
+The command requires **SRC_PATH** and **DEST_PATH** to exist according to the above rules.
+
+If **SRC_PATH** is local and is a symbolic link, the symbolic target, is copied by default.
+
+A colon (:) is used as a delimiter between CONTAINER and its path.
+
+You can also use : when specifying paths to a **SRC_PATH** or **DEST_PATH** on a local machine, for example, `file:name.txt`.
+
+If you use a : in a local machine path, you must be explicit with a relative or absolute path, for example:
+	`/path/to/file:name.txt` or `./file:name.txt`
+
+
+## ALTERNATIVES
+
+Podman has much stronger capabilities than just `podman cp` to achieve copy files between host and container.
+
+Using standard podman-mount and podman-umount takes advantage of the entire linux tool chain, rather
 then just cp.
 
-If a user wants to copy contents out of a container or into a container, they
-can execute a few simple commands.
+If a user wants to copy contents out of a container or into a container, they can execute a few simple commands.
 
-You can copy from the container's file system to the local machine or the
-reverse, from the local filesystem to the container.
+You can copy from the container's file system to the local machine or the reverse, from the local filesystem to the container.
 
-If you want to copy the /etc/foobar directory out of a container and onto /tmp
-on the host, you could execute the following commands:
+If you want to copy the /etc/foobar directory out of a container and onto /tmp on the host, you could execute the following commands:
 
 	mnt=$(podman mount CONTAINERID)
 	cp -R ${mnt}/etc/foobar /tmp
@@ -40,5 +90,15 @@ This shows that using `podman mount` and `podman umount` you can use all of the
 standard linux tools for moving files into and out of containers, not just
 the cp command.
 
+## EXAMPLE
+
+podman cp /myapp/app.conf containerID:/myapp/app.conf
+
+podman cp /home/myuser/myfiles.tar containerID:/tmp
+
+podman cp containerID:/myapp/ /myapp/
+
+podman cp containerID:/home/myuser/. /home/myuser/
+
 ## SEE ALSO
 podman(1), podman-mount(1), podman-umount(1)