Renaming Files in Bulk on Ubuntu

If you want to rename a bunch of files in a specific folder all at once instead of doing it one by one, you’re in luck! There are a couple of cool ways to do this using the terminal on Ubuntu. Here’s a step-by-step guide to get you started.

Using the Rename Command

The rename command is super handy for mass renaming files. Here’s a basic way to use it:

        cd /path/to/your/folder
        rename 's/old_string/new_string/' *
    

This replaces all occurrences of old_string with new_string in the names of all files in that folder.

Adding Prefix or Suffix

If you want to add a prefix or suffix, you can do something like this:

        for f in *; do
            mv -- "$f" "prefix_$f"; # adds prefix
        done
    

Replace prefix_ with whatever you want to add, and it will add it to the front of each file’s name. For a suffix, you would do something like:

        for f in *; do
            mv -- "$f" "${f%.ext}_suffix.ext"; # adds suffix before extension
        done
    

Just be sure to replace ext with the actual file extension of the files you want to rename! This way you keep your file types intact.

Preventing Overwrites

To avoid accidentally overwriting files, you can use the -n option:

        mv -n -- "$f" "new_name"
    

This prevents the command from overwriting any existing files when you rename them.

Best Practices

Here are a couple of tips to keep in mind:

• Always double-check the files you’re renaming. Maybe use ls to list them first.
• Back up the folder just in case something goes wrong.
• Start with a small batch of files to see if everything works as intended.

Wrap Up

Using the command line for renaming can feel a bit daunting at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s super powerful! Just take your time, and don’t hesitate to experiment a little. Good luck!