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Asked: 2024-09-25T00:16:33+05:30 In:

I’m trying to rename multiple files in a Linux directory but I’m unsure how to do it efficiently. Specifically, I want to change the file names according to a certain pattern. What commands or scripts can I use to achieve batch renaming of files in Linux? Any examples or best practices would be greatly appreciated.

I’m in a bit of a pickle and could really use some help from the community. I’m trying to rename multiple files in a directory on my Linux machine, but honestly, I’m feeling a bit lost. It seems like such a straightforward task, but I want to make sure I do it efficiently. The thing is, I’ve got a bunch of files, and I want to change their names to follow a specific pattern.

For example, I have files named like `image1.png`, `image2.png`, and so on, and I’d like to rename them to something like `photo_01.png`, `photo_02.png`, etc. I’ve read that using a script might be the way to go, but I’m not really familiar with scripting in Linux. I’ve heard of commands like `mv` and `rename`, but I’m not sure how to use them in a way that allows for bulk renaming without needing to rename every single file one by one.

I considered using some kind of loop in a bash script, but I’m worried I might mess something up (like accidentally renaming the wrong files). I also came across the concept of “regular expressions” and “wildcards,” but honestly, that all just sounds a bit complex for what I’m trying to achieve.

If anyone has a simple way to tackle this or maybe a quick example script that could help me out, I would greatly appreciate it. Also, if there are any best practices that I should keep in mind—like checking my work before finalizing the renaming or making backups first—I’d love to hear those too.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who gets stuck on things like this, so any insights or tips would be super helpful! Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

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    2 Answers

    1. Renaming files in bulk can definitely be a bit tricky if you’re just starting out with Linux. But no worries, I’ve got your back!

      Here’s a simple bash script you can use to rename those files. You’ll want to open your terminal and do the following:

              # Create a script file
        nano rename_images.sh

      Inside the script, you can paste the following code:

              #!/bin/bash
        a=1
        for i in image*.png; do
            new=$(printf "photo_%02d.png" "$a") # format the number with leading zeros
            mv "$i" "$new"
            let a=a+1
        done

      Once you have this in your script, save it (in nano, you can do that by pressing CTRL + X, then Y, and hit Enter). Then, give it execute permissions:

              chmod +x rename_images.sh

      Now you just run the script:

              ./rename_images.sh

      And voila! Your files should be renamed to `photo_01.png`, `photo_02.png`, and so on!

      As for best practices, definitely make sure to back up your files before running any renaming operation, just in case something goes wrong. You can also run the mv command in echo mode first to see what will happen:

              echo mv "$i" "$new"

      This will just print the commands to the terminal without executing them, so you can double-check everything looks good before making any changes.

      Finally, don’t hesitate to play around with your script in a test directory with a few sample files first—better safe than sorry!

      Happy renaming!

    2. To rename multiple files in a directory on your Linux machine following a specific naming pattern, a simple Bash script can be very effective. Using a loop with the `mv` command is a great way to achieve this. Here’s an example script that you can run in your terminal, which assumes your files are named `image1.png`, `image2.png`, etc. This script will rename them to `photo_01.png`, `photo_02.png`, and so on:

      #!/bin/bash
count=1
for file in image*.png; do
  mv "$file" "photo_$(printf "%02d" $count).png"
  ((count++))
done

      This script uses a `for` loop to go through each file that matches the pattern `image*.png`. The `mv` command renames each file to the new format, where `printf “%02d” $count` ensures that the numbers are two digits long, adding a leading zero if necessary. Before running the script, make sure to backup your files by copying them to another directory or using a version control system, just in case something goes wrong. Additionally, you can run the script with an echo command first by replacing `mv` with `echo mv` in the script. This way, you’ll see what the renaming will look like without actually making any changes.

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