Home/ Questions/Q 10573
Next
In Process

askthedev.com Latest Questions

Asked: 2024-09-26T04:44:20+05:30 In:

How can I modify the file extension of multiple files in Ubuntu using the terminal?

Okay, so I’ve been diving into some file management on my Ubuntu machine, and I hit this wall that I can’t seem to get over. I’ve got a bunch of files that I need to modify — specifically, I want to change their file extensions. The reason I’m doing this is that I accidentally saved a ton of images as `.txt` files instead of the correct `.jpg`, which is obviously a disaster for my photo organization and accessibility. I’m just hoping I haven’t messed things up completely.

So, I have a folder with, let’s say, around 50 files, and all of them are basically important images that I need to recover or access easily. I’ve heard that you can do batch changes from the terminal, which sounds super cool, but I’m kind of a novice when it comes to command-line stuff. If I’m honest, I usually shy away from the terminal, but desperate times call for desperate measures, right?

Now, I’ve been scouring forums and websites, trying to wrap my head around how to do this without having to click through each file one by one (who has the time for that?). I know there are a few commands that can help with batch renaming, but I’m really not sure which one to use or how to structure it. Plus, I’m worried I might accidentally mess something up and lose my files.

Has anyone been in a similar situation and figured out a straightforward way to change all those extensions at once? Is there a specific command or script that I can use? Or maybe there’s a safer way to do this that someone could walk me through? I’d greatly appreciate any tips, tricks, or commands you can share! Your guidance could save me from a colossal headache (and some rogue artistic files). Thanks in advance!

Share

    Leave an answer

    You must login to add an answer.

    Need An Account,

    2 Answers

    1. “`html





      Batch Rename File Extensions

      How to Change File Extensions in Ubuntu

      Changing file extensions for a bunch of files can be a bit tricky if you’re not used to the terminal, but I’m here to help! Here’s a simple way to do it:

      Open the Terminal

      First, you need to open your terminal. You can usually find it in your applications menu or by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T.

      Navigate to Your Folder

      Use the cd command to navigate to the directory where your files are located. For example, if your files are in a folder called Images on your Desktop, you’d type:

      cd ~/Desktop/Images

      Batch Rename Extensions

      Now, you can use this command to change all your .txt files to .jpg:

      for file in *.txt; do mv "$file" "${file%.txt}.jpg"; done

      Here’s a quick breakdown of what that does:

      • for file in *.txt; – This loops through all the .txt files.
      • do mv "$file" – This part is moving (renaming) the file.
      • "${file%.txt}.jpg" – This changes the extension from .txt to .jpg.
      • done – This ends the loop.

      Be Careful!

      Make sure to double-check that the files you’re renaming are indeed the correct ones, as this command will rename everything ending in .txt in that directory! If you’re nervous about losing files, consider making a backup of the folder first.

      Final Thoughts

      After running the command, your images should now be easily accessible as .jpg files. If you have any other questions or something’s not working, feel free to ask! Good luck!



      “`

    2. If you need to change the file extensions of multiple files in a folder on your Ubuntu machine, you can use a simple bash command in the terminal. First, navigate to the directory containing your `.txt` files using the `cd` command. For example, if your files are in a folder called “images” on your desktop, you would type: cd ~/Desktop/images. Once you’re in the correct directory, you can use the following command to change all `.txt` files to `.jpg`: for f in *.txt; do mv -- "$f" "${f%.txt}.jpg"; done. This command loops through all files ending with `.txt` and uses the `mv` command to rename them to have a `.jpg` extension instead.

      Before you run this command, it’s highly recommended to create a backup of your files, just in case something goes wrong. You can simply copy the entire folder to another location for safety. Additionally, to ensure you know what will happen, you can run a dry run with this command: for f in *.txt; do echo mv -- "$f" "${f%.txt}.jpg"; done. This will only print out the rename commands without actually changing anything, allowing you to review what will happen. Once you’re comfortable with it, go ahead and execute the first command to perform the batch renaming. Following these steps will help you recover your images effectively and without the hassle of altering each file manually.

    Related Questions