The mv command is used to rename files in Linux.
How to use the mv command:
The basic syntax for renaming a file using the mv command is:
mv [old_filename] [new_filename]
For example, to rename a file named "old_file.txt" to "new_file.txt", you would use the following command:
mv old_file.txt new_file.txt
Practical Examples:
Here are some practical examples of using the mv command to rename files:
- Renaming a file with spaces:
mv "My File.txt" "My_File.txt"
- Renaming multiple files:
mv *.jpg *.png
This command will rename all files with the ".jpg" extension to ".png".
- Moving and renaming a file:
mv old_file.txt /home/user/new_directory/new_file.txt
This command will move the file "old_file.txt" to the directory "/home/user/new_directory" and rename it to "new_file.txt".
Key Points:
- The mv command can be used to rename both files and directories.
- If the new filename already exists, the original file will be overwritten.
- Use caution when using wildcard characters (e.g., *) as they can affect multiple files.