NAME
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 dif-
ferent 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.)
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 destina-
tion files. If the response does not begin with `y' or
`Y', the file is skipped.
-u, --update
Do not move a nondirectory that has an existing desti-
nation 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 speci-
fied, 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 suc-
cessfully.
--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-3.16 pack-
age; other versions may differ slightly. Mail corrections
and additions to aeb@cwi.nl and aw@mail1.bet1.puv.fi and
ragnar@lightside.ddns.org . Report bugs in the program to
fileutils-bugs@gnu.ai.mit.edu.