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Asked: 2024-09-27T03:39:28+05:30 In:

How can I modify filenames to remove the date and time stamps in Ubuntu?

Hey everyone,

So I’m in the middle of cleaning up a big mess of files on my Ubuntu machine, and I’ve hit a bit of a snag. I’ve got a ton of filenames that are all cluttered up with date and time stamps, and it’s making it really hard to find what I need. You know how it is when you download a bunch of files and they come with those zany timestamps like “report_2023-10-01_14-32.pdf”? It’s chaos, and I can’t stand it!

I tried doing some manual renaming, but we all know how tedious that can be—especially when you’re looking at hundreds of files. I’m looking for a quick and efficient way to bulk modify these filenames so I can remove the date and time stamps. Ideally, I want to keep the main part of the filename intact and just strip away the unnecessary parts. For example, turning “report_2023-10-01_14-32.pdf” into just “report.pdf” would be fantastic!

Is there a neat command or maybe a script in Bash that I can use? I’ve heard something about `rename` or maybe using `sed`, but honestly, the syntax gets a little tricky for me. Has anyone gone through this before and figured out a straightforward method? I’d love to hear your tips or any commands you’ve used successfully! I’m open to any solutions, whether they involve the terminal or some nifty software tool.

Also, if you’ve got any horror stories about file management or renaming gone wrong, feel free to share those too! It’s always nice to know I’m not the only one dealing with these kinds of tech headaches. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide. Looking forward to your suggestions!

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    2 Answers


    1. So, I totally get the pain of dealing with those messy filenames! Here’s a quick way to tackle it using a Bash script. You can use the `rename` command, which works great for this kind of thing. If you don’t have it installed, you can usually get it by running:

      sudo apt-get install rename

      Once you have it, you can run this command in the directory where your files are:

      rename 's/_\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}_\d{2}-\d{2}//g' *.pdf

      This command basically tells `rename` to look for the pattern that matches a date and time stamp and strip it away, leaving just the main part of the filename. So, if you had report_2023-10-01_14-32.pdf, it would turn into report.pdf!

      Just a heads up, make sure to back up your files first, just in case something goes sideways! And if you screw up, it’s always a good idea to have a backup you can restore from.

      As for horror stories, I once ran a rename command without a backup and accidentally deleted all my files instead of renaming them. Never again! So, take it easy and double-check those commands before you hit enter!

      Good luck with your file cleanup!




    2. File Renaming Solution

      To bulk rename your files in Ubuntu and remove the date and time stamps, you can use the `rename` command or a simple `bash` script. The `rename` command is particularly effective for this purpose. First, install the `rename` utility if it’s not already available on your system by using the command: sudo apt install rename. Once installed, you can navigate to the directory containing your files using cd /path/to/your/files and then run the following command to rename your files: rename 's/_\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}_\d{2}-\d{2}//g' *.pdf. This command works by matching the date and time pattern within the filenames and stripping it away, leaving you with clean filenames like report.pdf.

      If you prefer a custom script, you can create a simple Bash script for more flexibility. Create a new file called rename_files.sh using a text editor and add the following code:

          #!/bin/bash
    for file in *; do
        mv "$file" "$(echo "$file" | sed 's/_\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}_\d{2}-\d{2}//g')"
    done

      Make sure to give the script executable permissions with chmod +x rename_files.sh and then run it in the directory with your files. This script cycles through all files and applies the same renaming process. Remember to back up your files first to avoid any accidental loss, and happy renaming!


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