Renaming Files in Linux: A Quick and Easy Guide

Renaming files is a common task that we perform regularly, whether it’s to organize our documents, clean up our downloads, or manage our projects.

In the Linux command-line, renaming files is a breeze, and you can do it right from the command line using a simple yet powerful command called mv.

In this quick and easy guide, we’ll show you how to use the mv command to rename files in Linux like a pro!

The mv Command: More Than Just Moving Files

The mv command, short for “move,” is a versatile command-line utility in Linux that allows you to move or rename files and directories.

While the primary function of mv is to move files from one location to another, it can also be used to rename files by “moving” them to a new name in the same directory.

The basic syntax for renaming a file using the mv command is as follows:

mv old_filename new_filename

• old_filename: The current name of the file you want to rename.

• new_filename: The new name you want to give to the file.

Renaming Files in Action: A Practical Example

Let’s say you have a file named report.txt in your current directory, and you want to rename it to summary.txt. To do this, you would open a terminal and enter the following command:

mv report.txt summary.txt

That’s it! The file report.txt has now been renamed to summary.txt. It’s as simple as that!

Keep in mind that the mv command doesn’t create a copy of the file—it renames the original file. If a file with the new name already exists in the same directory, it will be overwritten, so be cautious when renaming files.

Bonus Tip: Renaming Multiple Files with rename

If you need to rename multiple files at once based on a pattern, you can use the rename command. The rename command allows you to perform batch renaming using regular expressions. Here’s an example of how to use rename to change the file extension of all .txt files to .bak in the current directory:

rename 's/\.txt$/.bak/' *.txt

This command looks for all files with the .txt extension and replaces the .txt part with .bak.

Mastering File Renaming in Linux

Renaming files in Linux is a straightforward task, thanks to the mv and rename commands. Whether you’re dealing with a single file or an entire batch of files, these commands provide the flexibility and efficiency you need to keep your files organized.

We hope you found this guide helpful and that you’re now confident in your ability to rename files in Linux.

Remember, the command line is a powerful tool, and with a little practice, you’ll be able to perform a wide range of file operations with ease. Happy file renaming!