rename command in Linux
The Linux rename command is a powerful tool that allows users to efficiently rename multiple files at once by specifying a pattern to match and a pattern to replace it with. This command is particularly useful for batch renaming files in a directory quickly and easily. By utilizing regular expressions, users can customize the renaming process to suit their specific needs, saving time and effort.
rename Syntax:
Section titled “rename Syntax:”rename [options] perlexpr filesLinux rename Options:
Section titled “Linux rename Options:”| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| -v | Verbose mode - print names of files after they are renamed. |
| -n | No action - show what files would have been renamed. |
| -f | Force - remove existing files without prompting. |
| -e | Expression - specify Perl expression to act on filenames. |
rename Parameters:
Section titled “rename Parameters:”| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| perlexpr | Perl expression to match and modify filenames. |
| files | List of files to rename. |
How to use rename command:
Section titled “How to use rename command:”Rename files with a specific file extension
Section titled “Rename files with a specific file extension”rename 's/\.txt$/\.md/' *.txtThis command renames all files with a .txt extension to have a .md extension.
Rename files with a specific prefix
Section titled “Rename files with a specific prefix”rename 's/^file/file_/' file*This command adds a prefix “file_” to all files that start with “file”.
Rename files with a specific suffix
Section titled “Rename files with a specific suffix”rename 's/_old$/_new/' *_oldThis command replaces the suffix “_old” with “_new” for all files ending in “_old”.
Rename files using regular expressions
Section titled “Rename files using regular expressions”rename 's/(\d{4})-(\d{2})-(\d{2})/$3-$2-$1/' *.txtThis command reorders dates in the format “yyyy-mm-dd” to “dd-mm-yyyy” for all .txt files.
Renaming files by changing case
Section titled “Renaming files by changing case”rename 'y/A-Z/a-z/' *This command changes all file names to lowercase.
Rename files by replacing spaces with underscores
Section titled “Rename files by replacing spaces with underscores”rename 's/ /_/g' *This command replaces all spaces in file names with underscores.
Rename files by appending a timestamp
Section titled “Rename files by appending a timestamp”rename 's/$/_20220630/' *This command appends “_20220630” to the end of every file name.
Rename files by removing a specific string
Section titled “Rename files by removing a specific string”rename 's/\(copy\)//' *This command removes the string “(copy)” from all file names.
How do I use rename in Linux?
Section titled “How do I use rename in Linux?”To use the rename command in Linux, execute the following command:
rename --option <value>How can I rename multiple files in Linux using the rename command?
Section titled “How can I rename multiple files in Linux using the rename command?”To rename multiple files in Linux with the rename command, you can use patterns and substitution. For example, to replace all spaces with underscores in file names, you can run:
rename 's/ /_/g' *How can I change the file extension for multiple files with the rename command?
Section titled “How can I change the file extension for multiple files with the rename command?”To change the file extension for multiple files in Linux using the rename command, you can use pattern matching and substitution. For example, to change all .txt files to .md, you can run:
rename 's/\.txt$/\.md/' *.txtHow do I force rename in Linux using the rename command?
Section titled “How do I force rename in Linux using the rename command?”To force rename files in Linux with the rename command, you can use the -f or --force option. This option overrides existing files with the same name. For example, to forcefully rename files, you can run:
rename -f 's/old/new/' *How can I preview the file name changes before renaming with the rename command in Linux?
Section titled “How can I preview the file name changes before renaming with the rename command in Linux?”To preview the changes that will occur before actually renaming files using the rename command in Linux, you can use the -n or --no-act option. This option shows a preview of the changes without renaming the files. For example, to preview changes, you can run:
rename -n 's/pattern/replacement/' *How do I recursively rename files and directories in Linux using the rename command?
Section titled “How do I recursively rename files and directories in Linux using the rename command?”To recursively rename files and directories in Linux with the rename command, you can use the -R or --recursive option. This option allows renaming files within subdirectories as well. For example, to rename recursively, you can run:
rename -R 's/old/new/' *How can I rename files based on a specific pattern or regex with the rename command in Linux?
Section titled “How can I rename files based on a specific pattern or regex with the rename command in Linux?”To rename files based on a specific pattern or regex in Linux using the rename command, you can use regular expressions. For example, to add a prefix to all file names, you can run:
rename 's/^/prefix_/' *How do I revert a renaming operation in Linux using the rename command?
Section titled “How do I revert a renaming operation in Linux using the rename command?”To revert a renaming operation in Linux with the rename command, you need to consider the original file names. If you have a list of the original file names, you can rename the files back to the original names. Always double-check before executing any renaming operations to avoid irreversible changes.
rename 's/new/old/' *Applications of the rename command
Section titled “Applications of the rename command”- Bulk renaming files
- Changing file extensions
- Removing or replacing certain characters in file names
- Padding file names with zeros or other characters
- Converting uppercase to lowercase (and vice versa) in file names