How to rename linux file

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Learn how to easily rename files in Linux using the command line. Get detailed information on the ‘mv’ command, including examples and tips on how to rename multiple files, prevent accidental deletion or overwriting of files, and check if a file is in use before renaming it.

To rename a file in Linux, use the “mv” command. The basic syntax is:

The mv command is used to move or rename files and directories in Linux. When used to rename a file, the basic syntax is:

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mv old_file_name new_file_name

This command will rename the file old_file_name to new_file_name in the current directory. If a file with the name new_file_name already exists, it will be overwritten.

You can also use the mv command to move a file to a different directory by including the path to the new location in the command, like so:

mv /path/to/oldfile.txt /path/to/new/directory/newfile.txt

This command will move the file oldfile.txt from its current location to the directory /path/to/new/directory/ and rename it to newfile.txt.

You can also rename multiple files at once by using wildcard characters, such as * or ?. For example, the command:

mv /path/to/files/*.txt /path/to/new/directory/

will move all files with the .txt extension from the directory /path/to/files/ to the directory /path/to/new/directory/.

It’s important to note that when renaming or moving files and directories, the changes are permanent and cannot be undone. Additionally, if you’re renaming or moving a file or directory that is currently in use by a running program, the operation may fail. Be sure to check that the file or directory is not in use before attempting to rename or move it.

Also, be careful with the path you specify, if you specify the wrong path, it may cause accidental deletion or overwrite of files.

You can use “-i” option with “mv” command to prompt before overwriting files.

mv -i old_file_name new_file_name

Additionally, you could use command such as ‘cp’ to create a copy of the file with the new name and then use ‘rm’ command to delete the original file.

Linux renames multiple files

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To rename multiple files in Linux at once, you can use wildcard characters such as * or ? in the command.

For example, to rename all files with the .txt extension in a certain directory, you can use the following command:

mv /path/to/files/*.txt /path/to/new/directory/

This command will move all files with the .txt extension from the directory /path/to/files/ to the directory /path/to/new/directory/

You can also rename multiple files by using a script. For example, you can use a bash script that uses a for loop to iterate through all files in a directory and rename them according to a certain pattern.

Here is an example of a script that renames all files in the current directory by adding a prefix “new_” to their current names:

#!/bin/bash
for file in *; do
  mv "$file" "new_$file"
done

You can also use a more advanced command line utilities like ‘rename’ command which is a Perl-based utility and it allows you to rename multiple files at once using a specific pattern.

rename 's/old_name/new_name/' /path/to/files/*.txt

This command will change all files with the .txt extension in the directory /path/to/files/ and change the string “old_name” to “new_name” in the filenames.

It’s important to note that when renaming or moving files and directories, the changes are permanent and cannot be undone. Additionally, if you’re renaming or moving a file or directory that is currently in use by a running program, the operation may fail. Be sure to check that the file or directory is not in use before attempting to rename or move it.

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