This is a short article that will solve a very common problem encountered by Linux newbies about how to rename file in Linux CLI? #centlinux #linux #unix
Table of Contents
Problem Statement
In fact, Linux or Unix do not shipped with a native command to rename files or directories.
But, GNU Coreutils provides mv (short for move) command, that is used to move files or directories from one location to another.
By leveraging this feature in mv command we can rename files and directories.
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Syntax of mv command
To obtain help on command line syntax of mv command, execute following command on a Linux or Unix shell.
# mv --help Usage: mv [OPTION]... [-T] SOURCE DEST or: mv [OPTION]... SOURCE... DIRECTORY or: mv [OPTION]... -t DIRECTORY SOURCE... Rename SOURCE to DEST, or move SOURCE(s) to DIRECTORY. Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too. --backup[=CONTROL] make a backup of each existing destination file -b like --backup but does not accept an argument -f, --force do not prompt before overwriting -i, --interactive prompt before overwrite -n, --no-clobber do not overwrite an existing file If you specify more than one of -i, -f, -n, only the final one takes effect. --strip-trailing-slashes remove any trailing slashes from each SOURCE argument -S, --suffix=SUFFIX override the usual backup suffix -t, --target-directory=DIRECTORY move all SOURCE arguments into DIRECTORY -T, --no-target-directory treat DEST as a normal file -u, --update move only when the SOURCE file is newer than the destination file or when the destination file is missing -v, --verbose explain what is being done -Z, --context set SELinux security context of destination file to default type --help display this help and exit --version output version information and exit The backup suffix is '~', unless set with --suffix or SIMPLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX. The version control method may be selected via the --backup option or through the VERSION_CONTROL environment variable. Here are the values: none, off never make backups (even if --backup is given) numbered, t make numbered backups existing, nil numbered if numbered backups exist, simple otherwise simple, never always make simple backups GNU coreutils online help: <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/> Full documentation at: <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/mv> or available locally via: info '(coreutils) mv invocation'
How to Rename File in Linux CLI
To rename a file, we can use mv command as follows.
# mv -v file1 file2 renamed 'file1' -> 'file2'
How to Rename directory in Linux CLI
To rename a directory, we can use mv command as follows.
# mv -v dir1 dir2 renamed 'dir1' -> 'dir2'
We have used –v switch in above commands to display the output of above mv command on the console. However, if we omit –v switch, the mv command won’t display any output, despite of successful execution.
Access Help Manual for mv Command
To keep things simple and limit the scope of this article, we are not discussing each command line switch here. You can refer to GNU official documentation of mv command or use the following command to access the manual of the mv command.
# man mv
A snapshot of the manual on a CentOS 8 based Linux system is as follows.
MV(1) User Commands MV(1)
NAME
mv - move (rename) files
SYNOPSIS
mv [OPTION]... [-T] SOURCE DEST
mv [OPTION]... SOURCE... DIRECTORY
mv [OPTION]... -t DIRECTORY SOURCE...
DESCRIPTION
Rename SOURCE to DEST, or move SOURCE(s) to DIRECTORY.
Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options
too.
--backup[=CONTROL]
make a backup of each existing destination file
-b like --backup but does not accept an argument
-f, --force
do not prompt before overwriting
Manual page mv(1) line 1 (press h for help or q to quit)
If you are new to Linux and facing difficulty in working at Linux Bash prompt. We recommend that, you should read The Linux Command Line, 2nd Edition: A Complete Introduction by William Shotts.
Final Thoughts
Renaming files in the Linux command line can be straightforward with the right commands. Whether you’re using mv
for single files or more advanced tools for bulk renaming, mastering these techniques can enhance your efficiency in managing files on a Linux system.
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If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to reach out!