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How to Rename Files in Linux

How to Rename Files in Linux
Awais Khan
Technical writer
Linux
23.01.2025
Reading time: 7 min
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Visualize yourself as a Linux expert, skillfully navigating files and directories. One day, you find yourself needing to alter the names of numerous files. Perhaps you're organizing documents, changing photos names from a vacation, or managing code files for a project. Renaming each file manually seems daunting and time-consuming. What do you do?

The Linux environment offers various strong tools to make this task easy and effective. Whether dealing with a single file or a directory full of them, the system offers various ways to change files names quickly and easily.

Here, we'll explore a range of ways to rename files in the Linux environment. 

Method 1: Via the mv Command

Changing file names in Linux is usually accomplished via the mv command, which is both simple and widely adopted. Besides changing file names, it can also be employed to move files.

The primary syntax is:

mv [options] source target

Where:

  • source is the existing name or path of the file or directory you aim to rename or move.

  • target refers to the updated name or destination path for the file or directory.

Changing a Filename with mv

Adhere to the following steps to change a filename with mv:

  1. Launch your terminal application.

  2. Enter the directory where the file you wish to change is located:

cd /path/to/directory

Image1

  1. Employ mv to change the filename:

mv oldfilename newfilename

Image3

Update oldfilename to match the current name and newfilename to reflect the new name.

  1. Check the directory files to ensure their names are changed:

ls

Image2

Other Options

  1. To prevent existing files from being overwritten, apply:

mv -n oldfilename newfilename

  1. For transferring files to another directory while modifying their names, utilize:

mv oldfilename /newpath/newfilename

  1. To change directories name, apply:

mv olddirectory newdirectory

Method 2: Via the rename Command

For bulk files, rename surpasses mv in functionality. It can change multiple filenames in a single command and accommodates complex patterns with regular expressions.

Below is the standard format for employing the command:

rename [options] 's/oldpattern/newpattern/' files

Where:

  • 's/oldpattern/newpattern/': A substitution pattern where oldpattern is the text you want to replace, and newpattern is the text you want to substitute in.

  • files: The files you want to apply the rename operation to.

rename Installation on Linux

Some Linux distributions don't come with this utility pre-installed. Employ the package manager for installation.

On Debian/Ubuntu:

sudo apt install rename

On CentOS/RHEL:

sudo yum install prename

Changing a Filename with rename

  1. Launch the terminal and go to the target folder:

cd /path/to/directory

  1. Next, run rename with a regex pattern to adjust multiple file names:

rename 's/oldpattern/newpattern/' *

Image5

Replace oldpattern with the pattern you want to modify and newpattern with the updated pattern.

  1. To update all .txt filenames to .md in a directory, utilize:

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

Image4

Additional rename Options

  • Start filename with a prefixed text:

rename 's/^/prefix_/' *

  • Append a suffix to the filenames:

rename 's/$/_suffix/' *

  • Real-time filename display while renaming:

rename -v 's/oldpattern/newpattern/' *

  • Update the filename even if the target file already exists:

rename -f 's/oldpattern/newpattern/' *

  • Previews the actions without executing any modifications:

rename -n 's/oldpattern/newpattern/' *

Method 3: Via Bash Script

To perform more advanced file name changes, consider using a bash script. This technique enables sophisticated file name changes and automates frequent renaming operations.

  1. Open your terminal and create a new script file to start writing a bash script:

nano rename_files.sh

  1. Proceed by adding this code to the script file:

#!/bin/bash
for file in *.txt; do
mv "$file" "${file%.txt}.md"
done

This script changes all .txt filenames to .md files.

  1. Save the file and grant it executable permissions:

sudo chmod +x rename_files.sh

  1. Run the script to change filenames:

./rename_files.sh

Image7

Method 4: Via the find Command with mv

find and mv together offer a precise way to update multiple file names based on detailed conditions. Using this method, you can pinpoint specific files based on criteria like name patterns, size, and modification date. Further commands can be combined to create powerful file modification operations.

Use this template to update file names with find and mv:

find . -name "oldpattern" -exec mv {} newpattern \;

Image6

Additional Options

  • Change the file names larger than 1MB:

find . -size +1M -exec mv {} newname \;

  • Modify file names in the last 7 days:

find . -mtime -7 -exec mv {} newname \;

Method 5: Via the mmv Command

The mmv command is a powerful tool designed to simplify batch renaming of files through its advanced pattern matching capabilities. This command allows you to change multiple filenames at once by specifying patterns and replacement strings. It makes it ideal for handling large numbers of files that follow a specific naming convention. 

The syntax is:

mmv [options] source target

Changing a Filename with mmv

  1. Get mmv ready for use by installing it through the default package manager:

sudo apt install mmv

  1. Utilize mmv alongside patterns for effective filename modification:

mmv oldpattern newpattern

Image9

Additional mmv Options

  • Utilize this command to add a prefix to every file in a directory:

mmv '*' 'prefix#1'

  • Exhibit the names of files as they get modified:

mmv -v '*.txt' 'prefix_#1.txt'

Method 6: Via GUI

For those who favor a graphical interface, various Linux desktop environments offer tools for effortless file name changes. This approach is especially beneficial for users who aren't as familiar with command-line tasks.

Follow this procedure to change file names through a graphical tool:

  1. Launch your file manager application. The name and appearance may vary depending on your desktop environment (e.g., Nautilus for GNOME, Dolphin for KDE, Thunar for XFCE).

Image8

  1. Open the file manager/explorer and head to the folder with the files.

Image12

  1. Right-click the file you plan to edit and pick "Rename" or "Edit Name" from the contextual menu that appears.

Image11

  1. Type the new name, then press Enter or select "Rename" to apply the update.

Image13

Bulk file name change procedures may differ somewhat based on your file manager:

  1. Hold the Ctrl key and click on each file you want to change to select them.

  1. Select "Rename" by right-clicking on any of the files you've picked.

Image15

  1. Confirm the updates and check that the files are adjusted as desired.

Best Practices for File Naming Conventions

Consistent file naming conventions can significantly improve the ease of managing files and enhance overall organization. This section outlines best practices for naming files.

Use Descriptive Names

Choose names that are clear and descriptive, highlighting the file's content, purpose, or creation date. For example, replace doc1.txt with project_report_Jan2025.txt.

Avoid Special Characters

Refrain from including special characters (such as !, @, #, $, %, ^, &, and *) in filenames, since they can cause complications in file management and scripts.

Use Underscores or Hyphens

Replace spaces with underscores (_) or hyphens (-) in filenames to ensure they work seamlessly across different systems and scripts. For instance, use project_report_Jan2025.txt instead of project report Jan 2025.txt.

Guidelines for Changing Filename in Linux

  • Backup First: Back up your files first before performing extensive name changes.

  • Test Changes: Test the changes on a handful of files first.

  • Careful Use of Wildcards: Use wildcards carefully to prevent unintentional file modifications.

Conclusion

There are several approaches to changing file names in Linux, each tailored to different user preferences. Single-file tasks suit mv; for bulk operations, choose rename or mmv. Advanced customization can be achieved with Bash scripts and command combinations, whereas GUI tools present a more user-friendly choice. This in-depth guide will ensure you’re capable of executing any filename changing task smoothly in a Linux environment. 

By mastering these tools and techniques, you can significantly enhance your efficiency and productivity when managing files in Linux. Understanding how to use these commands not only saves time but also reduces the risk of errors that can occur with manual renaming.

In addition, Hostman provides Linux VPS web hosting services to empower your applications. 

Linux
23.01.2025
Reading time: 7 min
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Select the /dev/sdb and then right-click on it and you will see the option to delete it. Clicking the highlighted Delete option will mark the selected partition for deletion. You’ll need to apply the changes to finalize it. If you need to create a new partition then simply right-click on the unallocated space and you will see an option that says New. Choose the desired size for the new partition, and more importantly, select a suitable file system. In most cases, ext4 is recommended for Linux systems due to its stability and wide support. However, if you're creating a partition for use with Windows, you might prefer NTFS, or FAT32 for USB drives that need cross-platform compatibility. I’ll keep the size the same but I’ll adjust the label as Hostman D.  Now comes the key step, formatting the partition. Right-click on the new partition, select Format to, and choose the same file system you selected earlier, such as ext4, FAT32, or NTFS. The format you choose should align with how you plan to use the drive, ext4 for Linux systems, NTFS for Windows compatibility, or FAT32 for broader device support. 5. Apply Changes To apply the changes, click on the tick icon as shown in the screenshot. A pop-up will appear that prompts you to confirm applying  these changes. Click Apply. You will see a success window confirming that the changes have been made. Method 2: Partitioning and Formatting Using the Terminal Now let’s look at how to handle partitioning, formatting, and mounting using the terminal, a more hands on approach suited for those comfortable with command line tools. 1. Identify Your Disk Before starting, make sure to list all connected disks and identify the one you plan to work with. To do that, run the following command: lsblk Or run the fdisk command: sudo fdisk -l I will work with the disk /dev/sdb. Now, let’s head towards the next step to make a partition. 2. Partition the Drive It's very simple to partition the drive using fdisk.  sudo fdisk /dev/sdb Once you run the above command it will open the fdisk menu where you can type in different letters for different actions such as n can be used for creating a new partition, p to display the partition table, d for deletion, and w for write and exit. To create the partition, use n: To print the partition table, use p: To delete the partition, use d: To write changes and exit, use w: If you are using GUID partition tables then use the parted command with sudo: sudo parted /dev/sdb 3. Format the Partition After the partitions have been created, you can format them according to the file system required. For ext4 (Linux systems): sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdb5 For NTFS (Windows compatibility): sudo mkfs.ntfs /dev/sdb5 For FAT32 (USB drives, older systems): sudo mkfs.vfat -F 32 /dev/sdb5 4. Mount the Partition Create a mount point: sudo mkdir /mnt/mydrive Mount the partition: sudo mount /dev/sdb5 /mnt/mydrive 5. Auto-Mount at Boot  If you want to auto-mount at the start-up, you need to first acquire UUID: sudo blkid Then, add it to /etc/fstab: UUID=your_uuid /mnt/mydrive ext4 defaults 0 2 Simply press CTRL+O to write out and save, then press CTRL+X to exit from the nano editor. Conclusion Either for creating partitions or formatting the disk, managing disks is a great skill to have up your sleeves. Fundamentally, Windows and Mac OS have a graphical user interface where you can create partitions and format them while Linux provides you the flexibility to do so from the terminal. You can also use the GUI option in Linux to do essentially the same thing. It’s not impossible though to create partitions and format them in Windows and Mac OS from the command line but the popular and heavily used option is the GUI choice by Windows and Mac OS users. Creating partitions within Linux is a top skill when it comes to Linux administration tasks. Even if you are a general Linux user, this could be an interesting area to explore. If you are not familiar with creating, deleting, and formatting partitions then this article could be your guide to understand these concepts in a simple way. We have followed two approaches, one where we used the graphical user interface and a tool called Gparted, and the second approach where we do and handle everything inside the terminal. The main ease comes from knowing that you can format the partition to any file system you choose like NTFS, ext4 etc. We have talked about them in significant detail in this article and we have discussed how to format your partition with one of the many file systems. 
26 May 2025 · 6 min to read

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