How to Rename a Directory in Linux

Understanding the Command for Renaming Directories

Before diving into the process of renaming a directory in Linux, it is important to understand the command used for this purpose. The command used for renaming directories in Linux is ‘mv’, which stands for move. While this command is primarily used for moving files and directories from one location to another, it can also be used to rename directories by essentially moving them to a new name.

The ‘mv’ command takes two arguments: the original name of the directory that needs to be renamed, and the new name that you want to give to the directory. It is important to note that the ‘mv’ command is a powerful tool and should be used with caution, especially when dealing with critical directories or files. Always double-check the names of the directories before executing the command to avoid any unintended changes.

Renaming a Directory using the mv Command

Once you understand the ‘mv’ command, renaming a directory in Linux is a simple process. Follow these steps to rename a directory using the ‘mv’ command:

1. Open the terminal on your Linux machine.

2. Navigate to the directory that contains the directory you want to rename using the ‘cd’ command.

3. Use the ‘mv’ command followed by the current name of the directory and the new name that you want to give to the directory. For example, if you want to rename a directory called ‘old_directory’ to ‘new_directory’, you would enter the following command:

   mv old_directory new_directory

4. Press enter to execute the command.

5. Verify that the directory has been renamed by using the ‘ls’ command to list the contents of the directory.

That’s it! The directory has now been renamed to the new name that you provided in the ‘mv’ command.

Renaming a Directory with Spaces in its Name

Renaming a directory that has spaces in its name using the ‘mv’ command requires a slight modification to the command. Without the modification, the ‘mv’ command would treat each word in the directory name as a separate argument. Follow these steps to rename a directory with spaces in its name:

1. Open the terminal on your Linux machine.

2. Navigate to the directory that contains the directory you want to rename using the ‘cd’ command.

3. Use quotation marks to enclose the old directory name and the new directory name. For example, if you want to rename a directory called ‘old directory’ to ‘new directory’, you would enter the following command:

   mv 'old directory' 'new directory'

4. Press enter to execute the command.

5. Verify that the directory has been renamed by using the ‘ls’ command to list the contents of the directory.

By enclosing the directory names in quotation marks, the ‘mv’ command will treat the entire directory name, including any spaces, as a single argument.

Renaming a Directory with Special Characters in its Name

Renaming a directory with special characters in its name, such as *, ?, or !, requires a different approach than renaming a directory with a standard name. These characters have special meanings in Linux, so they need to be escaped in order to be used in a directory name. Follow these steps to rename a directory with special characters in its name:

1. Open the terminal on your Linux machine.

2. Navigate to the directory that contains the directory you want to rename using the ‘cd’ command.

3. Use a backslash () to escape each special character in the old directory name and the new directory name. For example, if you want to rename a directory called ‘old!directory’ to ‘new!directory’, you would enter the following command:

   mv old!directory new!directory

4. Press enter to execute the command.

5. Verify that the directory has been renamed by using the ‘ls’ command to list the contents of the directory.

By escaping the special characters in the directory names, the ‘mv’ command will treat them as part of the directory name rather than interpreting them as commands or wildcards.

Undoing a Directory Rename in Linux

If you accidentally renamed a directory or realized that the new name is not what you wanted, don’t worry! You can easily undo the rename using the ‘mv’ command. Follow these steps to undo a directory rename in Linux:

1. Open the terminal on your Linux machine.

2. Navigate to the directory that contains the directory you want to undo the rename for using the ‘cd’ command.

3. Use the ‘mv’ command followed by the new directory name and the old directory name. For example, if you want to undo the rename of a directory called ‘new_directory’ back to ‘old_directory’, you would enter the following command:

   mv new_directory old_directory

4. Press enter to execute the command.

5. Verify that the directory has been renamed back to its original name by using the ‘ls’ command to list the contents of the directory.

By specifying the new directory name first and the old directory name second, the ‘mv’ command will effectively move the directory from the new name back to the old name, undoing the rename.