[LINUX] Rename and move files (directories) with mv command

With the mv command ① Change file (directory name) ② Move file (directory)

You can perform two types of processing.

Rename file (directory)

$ mv <File before change(directory)Name> <File after change(directory)Name>

Example) When renaming the file test.txt to the file name hoge.txt

$ mv  test.txt  hoge.txt

In addition, when the command is executed in the above example If the hoge.txt file already exists, the original hoge.txt will be overwritten as soon as you rename test.txt. One way to prevent this is to add the -i option. This will allow you to be asked "Are you sure you want to overwrite?" When executing the mv command.

$ mv  -i  test.txt  hoge.txt

There are other file overwrite protection options, so I've listed them at the end of this article.

Also, since you can only change the file name one by one with the mv command, use the rename command when you want to change multiple files at once.

Move files (directories)

$ mv  <File(directory)Name>  < 移動先のdirectoryName>

Example) When moving the file sample.txt to the directory dir

$ mv  sample.txt  dir

By the way, it is safer to add /. to the destination directory to make it dir / .. This /. means "directly under the directory". The reason is that if the dir directory doesn't exist when you run the command "Move the sample.txt file to the dir directory", then the sample.txt file is simply named __ This is because it behaves as if it is changed to file __. The syntax for renaming files $ mv <file (directory) name before change> <file (directory) name after change> Has been applied, hasn't it? Therefore, it is safe to type the command as follows.

$ mv  sample.txt  dir/.

Move multiple files (directories) together to a directory

You can also move multiple files with the mv command.

Example) When moving sample01.txt, sample02.txt, sample03.txt together to a directory called dir

$ mv  sample01.txt  sample02.txt  sample03.txt  dir/.

Move files (directories) up one level in the current directory

$ mv  <File(directory)Name>  ../

List of main options for mv command