---
name: "pmlogmv"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "pcp"
version: "7.2.2-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/pmlogmv"
---

# pmlogmv(1)

move (rename), copy or list Performance Co-Pilot archive files

## NAME

**pmlogmv**, **pmlogcp**, **pmlogls** - move (rename), copy or list Performance Co-Pilot archive files

## SYNOPSIS

**pmlogmv** \[**-cfNV?**\] \[**-D** *debug*\] *srcname* *dstname*\
 **pmlogcp** \[**-cfNV?**\] \[**-D** *debug*\] *srcname* *dstname*\
 **pmlogls** \[**-V?**\] \[**-D** *debug*\] *srcname*

## DESCRIPTION

A Performance Co-Pilot (PCP) archive consists of multiple files as created by [**pmlogger**(1)](/pmlogger/1.md). **pmlogmv** allows all the files of a single PCP archive to be moved or renamed as a group in a single operation. Similarly **pmlogcp** copies all the files of single PCP archive in a single operation.

**pmlogls** is a convenience application that lists the names of all the files in a single PCP archive and then exits.

The *srcname* argument identifies the target archive, and may be either the basename that is common to all files in that archive or one of the archive's files.

For **pmlogmv** or **pmlogcp**, the new archive's basename is *dstname*, except when *dstname* is an existing directory, in which case the files are moved or copied into *dstname* using the same archive basename as *srcname*.

Because PCP archives are important records of system activity, special care is taken to ensure the integrity of an archive's files. For recoverable problems encountered during the execution of **pmlogmv** or **pmlogcp**, all the files associated with *srcname* will be preserved, and no new files with the *dstname* prefix will be created. \`\`Recoverable problems'' include signals that can be caught (such as SIGHUP, SIGINT, SIGQUIT and SIGTERM), permissions issues, new files already existing, file system full events, etc.

The implementation of **pmlogmv** tries to use hard links (and unlinking) in the file system to avoid file copying and so follows the semantic restrictions of [*link*(2)](/link/2.md), which for most systems means the directories containing both the *srcname* and the *dstname* PCP archive files need to be within the **same** file system. When this is not possible, **pmlogmv** falls back to to file copying.

**pmlogcp** always uses file copying.

## OPTIONS

The available command line options are:

- **-c**, **--checksum**

  Paranoid checking mode when file copying is needed and each file's checksum is computed for the original file and the copied file, and the checksums must match before the copy is considered acceptable. The checksum command is chosen by trying the following in turn until one is found to be executable: [**md5sum**(1)](/md5sum/1.md), [**sha256sum**(1)](/sha256sum/1.md), **[sha1sum(1)](/sha1sum/1.md)** and [**sum**(1)](/sum/1.md). If no executable checksum command is found, a warning is issued and the checksum check is skipped.

- **-f**, **--force**

  Normally **pmlogmv** and **pmlogcp** take a conservative view in respect of *dstname* and will not proceed if *dstname* contains any characters that are likely to cause a problem for [**sh**(1)](/sh/1.md). This includes \`\`glob'' characters like \`\`?'', \`\`\*'' and \`\`\['', shell syntax meta characters like \`\`('', \`\`\|'', \`\`;'' and \`\`&'', shell I/O redirection characters like \`\`\<'' and \`\`\>'', the dollar sign, a space, etc.

  The **-f** flag forces the rename or copy to proceed, even if *dstname* contains any of these \`\`unsafe'' characters.

- **-N**, **--showme**

  Perform a dry-run, checking and reporting what changes would be made without making any changes.

- **-V**, **--verbose**

  Enable verbose mode.

- **-?**, **--help**

  Display usage message and exit.

## DIAGNOSTICS

All error and warning messages are intended to be easily understood and errors produce a non-zero exit status.

## DEBUGGING OPTIONS

The **-D** or **--debug** option enables the output of additional diagnostics on *stderr* to help triage problems, although the information is sometimes cryptic and primarily intended to provide guidance for developers rather than for end-users. *debug* is a comma separated list of debugging options; use [**pmdbg**(1)](/pmdbg/1.md) with the **-l** option to obtain a list of the available debugging options and their meaning.

## SEE ALSO

[**PCPIntro**(1)](/PCPIntro/1.md), [**md5sum**(1)](/md5sum/1.md), [**pmlogger**(1)](/pmlogger/1.md), [**sha1sum**(1)](/sha1sum/1.md), [**sha256sum**(1)](/sha256sum/1.md), [**link**(2)](/link/2.md) and [**LOGARCHIVE**(5)](/LOGARCHIVE/5.md).