How to Rename a Directory in Linux: 3 Easy Ways

A directory, also known as a folder, is a container that stores files and other directories. Renaming a directory can help you organize your files better, change the purpose of a directory, or correct a spelling mistake.

In this article, we will show you some of the easy ways to rename a directory in Linux using different commands and tools. We will also explain the advantages and disadvantages of each method, and provide some examples and tips to help you use them effectively.

Rename Using the mv command

The mv command is one of the most commonly used commands in Linux for moving and renaming files and directories. It has the following syntax:

mv [options] source destination

To rename a directory using the mv command, you need to specify the current name of the directory as the source, and the new name of the directory as the destination. For example, if you want to rename a directory called old-dir to new-dir, you can use this command:

mv old-dir new-dir

The mv command will rename the directory without changing its location or contents. However, if the destination name already exists as another directory or file, the mv command will overwrite it without asking for confirmation. To avoid this, you can use the -i option to prompt before overwriting:

mv -i old-dir new-dir

The mv command also supports wildcards and regular expressions for renaming multiple directories at once. For example, if you want to rename all directories that start with folder to dir, you can use this command:

mv folder* dir*

As mv command is simple and easy to use, it also has some limitations.

For example, it cannot rename directories that contain spaces or special characters in their names. To do that, you need to use quotation marks or escape characters.

For example, if you want to rename a directory called “My Documents” to “My Files”, you can use either of these commands:

mv "My Documents" "My Files"

or

mv My\ Documents My\ Files

Another limitation of the mv command is that it cannot rename directories based on their contents or attributes. To do that, you need to use other commands or tools.

Rename Using the rename command

The rename command is a dedicated command for renaming files and directories based on regular expressions. It has the following syntax:

rename [options] 's/expression/replacement/' file(s)

To rename a directory using the rename command, you need to specify a substitution pattern that matches the old name of the directory and replaces it with the new name.

For example, if you want to rename a directory called Directory1 to FirstDirectory, you can use this command:

rename 's/Directory1/FirstDirectory/' *

The rename command will search for all files and directories in the current directory that match the expression and replace it with the provided replacement. However, if there are multiple matches, it will only replace the first occurrence. To replace all occurrences, you need to use the g option as shown below:

rename 's/Directory1/FirstDirectory/g' *

The rename command also supports various options and modifiers for renaming files and directories based on different criteria.

For example, you can use the -v option to show verbose output:

rename -v 's/Directory1/FirstDirectory/g' *

or you can use the -n option to test what would happen without actually renaming anything:

rename -n 's/Directory1/FirstDirectory/g' *

The rename command is powerful and flexible, but it has some drawbacks.

For example, it is not installed by default on all Linux distributions. To install it, you need to use your package manager. For example, on Ubuntu or Debian, you can use this command:

sudo apt install rename

Another drawback of the rename command is that it can be confusing or complex for beginners who are not familiar with regular expressions. To learn about some basic regular expressions, you can check out this tutorial.

Rename Using a file manager

A file manager is a graphical user interface (GUI) tool that allows you to browse and manage files and directories on your system. There are many file managers available for Linux, such as Nautilus, Dolphin, Thunar, Nemo, etc. To rename a directory using a file manager, you need to follow these steps:

1. Open your file manager and navigate to the directory that contains the directory you want to rename.
2. Right-click on the directory and select Rename from the context menu.
3. Type the new name of the directory and press Enter or click OK.

The file manager will rename the directory for you. However, if the new name already exists as another directory or file, the file manager will warn you and ask you to choose a different name or overwrite the existing one.

The file manager is a convenient and user-friendly way to rename directories, but it has some disadvantages. For example, it is slower and less efficient than using commands. It also requires a graphical desktop environment, which may not be available on some Linux systems, such as servers or minimal installations.

Conclusion

In this article, we have learned some of the best methods to rename a directory in Linux using different commands and tools. We have also discussed the pros and cons of each method, and provided some examples and tips to help you use them effectively.

We hope that this article has helped you understand how to rename directories in Linux and improve your Linux skills.