Copy a file and preserve its metadata.
Python: Use copy2 for a file copy that also attempts to preserve timestamps and permission bits.
from pathlib import Path
from shutil import copy2
copy2("source.txt", "copy.txt")
print(Path("copy.txt").read_text(encoding="utf-8"), end="")Expected output EXAMPLE
copy me
Details
Save as snippet.py and run python3 snippet.py. Uses the Python standard library. Use copy2 for a file copy that also attempts to preserve timestamps and permission bits.
An existing destination file is replaced. Ownership and all platform metadata are not guaranteed to be copied.
Tested on Ubuntu 24.04.5 LTS · · Python 3.12.3 · python3 3.12.3-0ubuntu2.1
Test inputs, results and environment
The exact published code ran in a dedicated Linux test container with prepared inputs. Unprivileged snippet process, external networking disabled, read-only root filesystem, and a fresh temporary working directory. Fixtures and output records are isolated from the application database. Testing covers this example and its stated checks, not every input, operating system, or runtime version. The Linux container shares its host's kernel; this is not a native Windows test.
- Architecture / host kernel
- x86_64 / 6.18.54.1-microsoft-standard-WSL2
- Snippet identity / locale
- uid=65534, gid=65534 (unprivileged) / C.UTF-8
- Interpreter invocation
python3 -c <published code>- Container image ID
sha256:32dc2d998158b6554c99b73b533f423696a0f3e31e8cbea9db10b5eee9a2fadd- Code SHA-256
f2133835965f502f59d030395287fcc78dca5a736b612fb6d221f52f92bec9b9- Dependencies
- python3 3.12.3-0ubuntu2.1
Test input setup
These are the prepared inputs used by the test harness. See Details above for the prerequisites and how to run this example.
printf 'copy me\n' > source.txt
Observed standard output
copy me
Exit code: 0. Standard error: empty. Validation: Exact stdout comparison. System-dependent values above are one recorded run.
Additional assertions that passed
Checks recorded by the test harness. Where Python assertions are shown, browser cases use Playwright and simulator cases may inspect pin transitions: result.stdout is captured output, work is the temporary directory, and Path is pathlib.Path. The harness also imports json and csv.
assert Path('source.txt').read_bytes() == Path('copy.txt').read_bytes()