Moving Files (mv Command)

The mv command is used to move or rename files.

Command Structure : mv SOURCE DESTINATION

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Notes

  • Moving a file to the same directory → renames the file
  • Moving files across directories → retains content and original name unless explicitly renamed

Example: 

mv people.csv Here/                          # Move a file to another directory
mv numbers.txt letters.txt alpha.txt Here/   # Move multiple files to a directory
mv animals.txt zoo.txt                        # Rename a file in the same directory
mv hello.sh ~/Documents/Here/                 # Move a file to another folder using full path
mv *.txt Here/                              # Move all .txt files to the Here directory

Permissions Required

  • Must have write (w) and execute (x) permissions on:

  • The source directory

  • The destination directory