Bash mv Command - Move or Rename Files

Using the mv Command

The mv command is used to move or rename files and directories.

It's like changing where a file is or what it's called.

Basic Usage

To move a file, use mv source_file destination_directory:

mv my_file.txt destination/

Renaming Files

To rename a file, use mv old_name new_name:

mv old_name.txt new_name.txt

Options Overview

The mv command has several options to customize its behavior:

• -i - Ask before replacing files
• -u - Move only if the source is newer
• -v - Verbose mode, show files being moved

-i Option: Prompt Before Overwrite

The -i option will prompt you before overwriting files, helping you avoid accidental replacements.

mv -i my_file.txt myfolder/
mv: overwrite 'myfolder/my_file.txt'? 

-u Option: Move Only Newer Files

The -u option moves files only if the source file is newer than the destination file.

mv -u new_file.txt destination/

-v Option: Verbose Mode

The -v option enables verbose mode, which displays the files being moved in the terminal.

This is useful for tracking the move process, especially when dealing with many files.

mv -v my_file.txt myfolder/new_directory/
renamed 'my_file.txt' -> 'myfolder/new_directory/my_file.txt'

Using mv with Wildcards

Wildcards allow you to move multiple files at once. For example, mv *.txt destination/ will move all text files to the destination folder.

mv *.txt destination/