MV(1) Linux Manual Page

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mv - move (rename) files

Synopsis

mv [option...] source target
mv [option...] source... target

POSIX options: [-fi] [--]

GNU options (shortest form): [-bfiuv] [-S suffix] [-V {numbered,existing,simple}] [--help] [--version] [--]

Description

mv moves or renames files or directories.

If the last argument names an existing directory, mv moves each other given file into a file with the same name in that directory. Otherwise, if only two files are given, it renames the first as the second. It is an error if the last argument is not a directory and more than two files are given.

Thus, `mv /a/x/y /b' will rename the file /a/x/y into /b/y if /b was an existing directory, and into /b otherwise.

Let us call the file a given file is going to be moved into its destination. If destination exists, and either the -i option is given, or destination is unwritable, standard input is a terminal, and the -f option is not given, mv prompts the user for whether to replace the file, writing a question to stderr and reading an answer from stdin. If the response is not affirmative, the file is skipped.

When both source and destination are on the same filesystem, they are the same file (just the name is changed; owner, mode, timestamps remain unchanged). When they are on different filesystems, the source file is copied and then deleted. mv will copy modification time, access time, user and group ID, and mode if possible. When copying user and/or group ID fails, the setuid and setgid bits are cleared in the copy.

Posix Options

-f: Do not prompt for confirmation.
-i: Prompt for confirmation when destination exists. (In case both -f and -i are given, the last one given takes effect.)
--: Terminate option list.

GNU Details

The GNU implementation (in fileutils-3.16) is broken in the sense that mv can move only regular files across filesystems.

GNU Options

-f, --force: Remove existing destination files and never prompt the user.
-i, --interactive: Prompt whether to overwrite existing regular destination files. If the response is not affirmative, the file is skipped.
-u, --update: Do not move a nondirectory that has an existing destination with the same or newer modification time.
-v, --verbose: Print the name of each file before moving it.

GNU Backup Options

The GNU versions of programs like cp, mv, ln, install and patch will make a backup of files about to be overwritten, changed or destroyed if that is desired. That backup files are desired is indicated by the -b option. How they should be named is specified by the -V option. In case the name of the backup file is given by the name of the file extended by a suffix, this suffix is specified by the -S option.

-b, --backup: Make backups of files that are about to be overwritten or removed.
-S SUFFIX, --suffix=SUFFIX: Append SUFFIX to each backup file made. If this option is not specified, the value of the SIMPLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX environment variable is used. And if SIMPLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX is not set, the default is `~'.
-V METHOD, --version-control=METHOD: Specify how backup files are named. The METHOD argument can be `numbered' (or `t'), `existing' (or `nil'), or `never' (or `simple'). If this option is not specified, the value of the VERSION_CONTROL environment variable is used. And if VERSION_CONTROL is not set, the default backup type is `existing'.

This option corresponds to the Emacs variable `version-control'. The valid METHODs are (unique abbreviations are accepted):

t, numbered: Always make numbered backups.
nil, existing: Make numbered backups of files that already have them, simple backups of the others.
never, simple: Always make simple backups.

GNU Standard Options

--help: Print a usage message on standard output and exit successfully.
--version: Print version information on standard output, then exit successfully.
--: Terminate option list.

Environment

The variables LANG, LC_ALL, LC_COLLATE, LC_CTYPE and LC_MESSAGES have the usual meaning. For the GNU version, the variables SIMPLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX and VERSION_CONTROL control backup file naming, as described above.

Conforming to

POSIX 1003.2, except that directory hierarchies cannot be moved across filesystems.

Notes

This page describes mv as found in the fileutils-4.0 package; other versions may differ slightly. Mail corrections and additions to aeb@cwi.nl. Report bugs in the program to fileutils-bugs@gnu.ai.mit.edu.

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