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Asked: 2024-09-23T16:20:32+05:30 In:

How can I transfer a directory along with all its subdirectories to a different location on my Ubuntu system?

I’ve been trying to get the hang of managing files and directories in Ubuntu, but I’m kind of stuck on this one particular problem. So, I have this directory that has a bunch of subdirectories and files in it, and I want to move the whole thing to a different location on my system. I’ve seen some commands being thrown around, but they all seem a bit confusing.

Here’s the scenario: I’ve got a folder called “Projects” that contains several subfolders for different projects – think about folders for coding, docs, and designs. I need to move this entire “Projects” folder to my external hard drive, which I’ve mounted at `/media/external_drive`. The thing is, I want to make sure that all the subdirectories and files are transferred over without losing any data. I’ve read something about the `mv` command, but I’m not sure if that’s the right way to go about it, or if I need to use something else like `rsync` or `cp` with certain options.

Also, I’m a bit worried about file permissions and ownership. I really don’t want to end up with a mess on my external drive where I can’t access my files because the ownership settings got mixed up during the transfer. Is there a specific command or set of options I should use that would preserve everything nicely?

I guess what I’m really asking is – what’s the best way to do this? Should I be worried about anything before I start, or is it a pretty straightforward process? I’d love to know if there are any best practices or common pitfalls to avoid when moving directories around in Ubuntu. Any advice or step-by-step guidance would be super helpful! Thanks!

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    2 Answers






    1. Moving Files and Directories in Ubuntu


      Moving a Directory in Ubuntu

      Okay, so you wanna move your Projects folder to your external hard drive at /media/external_drive? Totally get it! Here’s how you can do it without losing any data.

      Using the mv Command

      The mv command is indeed what you need! It can move files and directories around fairly easily. To move your entire Projects folder, you can use the following command:

      mv ~/Documents/Projects /media/external_drive/

      This assumes that your Projects folder is located in the Documents folder. Just change the path according to where your Projects folder is located.

      What About Permissions?

      If you want to ensure that everything carries over nicely, including permissions, you might wanna look into using rsync. It’s a bit more advanced but super handy! Here’s how you can do it:

      rsync -a ~/Documents/Projects/ /media/external_drive/Projects/

      The -a option stands for “archive” and it keeps permissions, timestamps, and it’s recursive, meaning it’ll copy all your subdirectories and files.

      Best Practices

      Here are a few tips:

      • Double-check the path where you want to move your files. Make sure the external drive is properly mounted.
      • Always back up important files before moving or modifying them, just in case something goes wrong.
      • If using mv, remember that it will remove the original files after moving them! So if you’re not sure, go with rsync to copy first, and then you can delete the originals if everything looks good.
      • Check the ownership and permissions after moving your files. You can do that using ls -l /media/external_drive/Projects.

      Common Pitfalls

      One thing to remember is that if your external drive is formatted with a file system that doesn’t support Linux permissions (like FAT32), you might run into issues with permissions on those files. In that case, just keep an eye out for any access issues later.

      Good luck with moving your files! You got this!


    2. To move your entire “Projects” folder from its current location to your external hard drive located at `/media/external_drive`, the simplest and most effective command to use is `rsync`. Unlike `mv`, `rsync` provides better options for preserving file permissions and ownership during the transfer, which is crucial for maintaining the integrity of your projects. You can execute the following command in the terminal:

      rsync -avh --progress /path/to/Projects/ /media/external_drive/

      In this command, the flags `-a` ensure that all files are archived with their permissions, ownership, and timestamps preserved. The `-v` option provides verbose output, which means you’ll see a list of files being transferred, and `-h` makes the output human-readable. The `–progress` flag shows the progress of the file transfer, which can be helpful for larger directories. Remember to replace `/path/to/Projects/` with the actual path to your “Projects” folder. Before you start, double-check that there’s enough space on your external drive and that it’s properly mounted. Once you run the `rsync` command, you can verify on your external drive that the folder and its contents have been transferred successfully.

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