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MV(1)                                                                    MV(1)



NAME
       mv - move (rename) files

SYNOPSIS
       mv[option...] source target
       mv[option...] source... target

       POSIX options: [-fi][--]

       GNU  options (shortest form): [-bfiuv][-S suffix][-V{numbered,exist-
       ing,simple}][--help][--version][--]

DESCRIPTION
       mv moves or renames files or directories.

       If the last argument names an existing directory, mv moves  each  other
       given file into a file with the same name in that directory. Otherwise,
       if only two files are given, it renames the first as the second.  It is
       an  error  if  the  last  argument is not a directory and more than two
       files are given.

       Thus, 'mv /a/x/y /b' will rename the file /a/x/y into /b/y if /b was an
       existing directory, and into /b otherwise.

       Let  us call the file a given file is going to be moved into its desti-
       nation.  If destination exists, and either the -i option is  given,  or
       destination  is  unwritable,  standard  input is a terminal, and the -f
       option is not given, mv prompts the user for  whether  to  replace  the
       file,  writing  a  question to stderr and reading an answer from stdin.
       If the response is not affirmative, the file is skipped.

       When both source and destination are on the same filesystem,  they  are
       the same file (just the name is changed; owner, mode, timestamps remain
       unchanged).  When they are on different filesystems, the source file is
       copied  and then deleted.  mv will copy modification time, access time,
       user and group ID, and mode if possible. When copying user and/or group
       ID fails, the setuid and setgid bits are cleared in the copy.

POSIXOPTIONS
       -f     Do not prompt for confirmation.

       -i     Prompt  for confirmation when destination exists.  (In case both
              -f and -i are given, the last one given takes effect.)

       --     Terminate option list.

GNUDETAILS
       The GNU implementation (in fileutils-3.16) is broken in the sense  that
       mv can move only regular files across filesystems.

GNUOPTIONS
       -f,--force
              Remove existing destination files and never prompt the user.

       -i,--interactive
              Prompt  whether to overwrite existing regular destination files.
              If the response is not affirmative, the file is skipped.

       -u,--update
              Do not move a nondirectory that has an existing destination with
              the same or newer modification time.

       -v,--verbose
              Print the name of each file before moving it.

GNUBACKUPOPTIONS
       The  GNU  versions  of programs like cp, mv, ln, install and patch will
       make a backup of files about to be overwritten, changed or destroyed if
       that  is  desired. That backup files are desired is indicated by the -b
       option. How they should be named is specified by  the  -V  option.   In
       case  the  name  of  the  backup  file is given by the name of the file
       extended by a suffix, this suffix is specified by the -S option.

       -b,--backup
              Make backups of files  that  are  about  to  be  overwritten  or
              removed.

       -S SUFFIX,--suffix=SUFFIX
              Append  SUFFIX  to each backup file made.  If this option is not
              specified, the value  of  the  SIMPLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX  environment
              variable  is  used.  And if SIMPLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX is not set, the
              default is '~'.

       -V METHOD,--version-control=METHOD
              Specify how backup files are named. The METHOD argument  can  be
              'numbered' (or 't'), 'existing' (or 'nil'), or 'never' (or 'sim-
              ple').  If this option is not specified, the value of  the  VER-
              SION_CONTROL  environment variable is used.  And if VERSION_CON-
              TROL is not set, the default backup type is 'existing'.

              This option corresponds to the Emacs variable 'version-control'.
              The valid METHODs are (unique abbreviations are accepted):

              t, numbered
                     Always make numbered backups.

              nil, existing
                     Make  numbered  backups  of files that already have them,
                     simple backups of the others.

              never, simple
                     Always make simple backups.

GNUSTANDARDOPTIONS
       --help Print a usage message on standard output and exit  successfully.

       --version
              Print version information on standard output, then exit success-
              fully.

       --     Terminate option list.

ENVIRONMENT
       The variables LANG, LC_ALL, LC_COLLATE, LC_CTYPE and  LC_MESSAGES  have
       the   usual   meaning.   For   the  GNU  version,  the  variables  SIM-
       PLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX and VERSION_CONTROL control backup  file  naming,  as
       described above.

CONFORMINGTO
       POSIX  1003.2, except that directory hierarchies cannot be moved across
       filesystems.

NOTES
       This page describes mv as found in  the  fileutils-4.0  package;  other
       versions  may  differ  slightly.   Mail  corrections  and  additions to
       aebcwi.nl.    Report   bugs   in    the    program    to    fileutils-
       bugsgnu.edu.



GNU fileutils 4.0                   1998-11                              MV(1)