MV(1) MV(1)
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 filesys-
tem, 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 copy-
ing 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
GNU fileutils 4.0 November 1998 1
MV(1) MV(1)
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 desti-
nation 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 over-
written or removed.
-S SUFFIX, --suffix=SUFFIX
Append SUFFIX to each backup file made. If this
option is not specified, the value of the SIM-
PLE_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_CON-
TROL is not set, the default backup type is `exist-
ing'.
This option corresponds to the Emacs variable `ver-
sion-control'. The valid METHODs are (unique
abbreviations are accepted):
GNU fileutils 4.0 November 1998 2
MV(1) MV(1)
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 pack-
age; 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.
GNU fileutils 4.0 November 1998 3