How can I batch rename files using the Terminal?

Question

I have a set of files, all of them nnn.MP4.mov. How could I rename them so that it is just nnn.mov?

Install muCommander. It has the Total Commander style batch renamer. Why to waste time on that crap 100 chars of mindblowing batch command? — Nakilon, Aug 17 '13 at 22:34
@Nakilon because learning the command line has bigger return on investment — Julien__, Apr 25 '17 at 13:14

score 101 · Accepted Answer · edited Aug 11 '17 at 01:39

101

First, do a dry run (will not actually rename any files) with the following:

for file in *.mov
do
  echo mv "$file" "${file/MP4./}"
done

If it all looks fine, remove the echo from the third line to actually rename the files.

edited Aug 11 '17 at 01:39

Joshua Pinter

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answered Mar 22 '11 at 16:16

kurumi

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Could not figure out why this was not working... there was output and it looked like it was, but it was not actually doing anything. Well I finally figured out that you need to remove the ECHO statement to actually get it to do something (on OSX 10.7 anyways). So if you keep the echo statement then you can test it to see if the renaming is going to work like you want, then remove the echo to get it to work. So equivalent from Windows of ren *-hd.png *.png is: for file in *.png do mv "$file" "${file/-hd/}" done – jsherk Jul 12 '12 at 01:10
4

to run the script you need to: 1. save it in `rename.sh` file; 2. make it executable `chmod 755 rename.sh`; 3. launch it from the current folder where you have files to rename and shell script `./rename.sh`; 4. if result is good remove `echo` from the script and launch it again. I needed to add extension to group of files. so my action in the scrip was like this: `mv "$file" "${file}.jpeg"` – Anatolii Pazhyn Sep 10 '16 at 08:17
This is a script and needs to be created as a file and then run right? Clues? – wide_eyed_pupil May 21 '18 at 06:10
Running as single line cmd like this: `for file in *.mov; do echo mv "$file" "${file/MP4./}"; done`, the `;` does the trick. – Evi Song Apr 29 '21 at 14:58
4

For other use cases, note the general format of the command: `echo mv "$file" "${file/[replace_this]/[with_this]}"` – HLeb Jul 20 '21 at 15:08

score 35 · Answer 2 · answered Feb 28 '12 at 07:01

35

I just successfully used Automator (first time I've bothered), and it works really well. I saved the automation as a Service. It took about 10 seconds to make something easily reusable:

Open Automator.
As type of document, choose "Service".
Change Service receives selected "Text" to "files and folders".
Consider changing "any application" to just Finder.
From the sidebar, select "Files & Folders" (under Library) and from the listed actions, in the center column, drag "Rename Finder items" to the right side and drop it within "Drag actions or files here to build your workflow."
Change the action you just added from "Add Date or Time" to "Make Sequential".
Click "Options" at the bottom of the action and check the option "Show this action when the workflow runs".
Hit "CMD+S" to save the service as something like "Replace Text"..
Done!

Now you can right-click any selection in Finder, go to the Service menu and select "Replace Text", fill in how you want the text changed or replaced - and click "Continue" to apply configured changes.

answered Feb 28 '12 at 07:01

Johan

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I downvoted it because the question has "terminal" tag. – v42 Dec 13 '13 at 17:11
Great answer, even if it is not what the OP asked for. Any excuse for me to learn Automator is welcomed :-) BTW, it does not work on a folder, but it does work on multiply selected files. – phatmann Aug 12 '14 at 22:43
Fantastic! Don't care about the OP! – Brody Robertson Aug 14 '15 at 03:46
Don't you mean change from "Add Time and Date" to "Replace Text" ? – wide_eyed_pupil May 21 '18 at 06:08
What wildcards are accepted in the find and replace fields? Is it Grep compatible? – wide_eyed_pupil May 21 '18 at 06:09
I couldn't understand why my Service name changes weren't being reflected in the Contextual Menu, until I realised there's a default `Rename Files…` command in the main contextual menu, mine were inside the Services sub-menu! – wide_eyed_pupil May 21 '18 at 06:17

SONIC3D · Answer 3 · 2017-10-13T23:52:34.853

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To test print the operation:

for file in *.MP4.mov; do j=`echo $file | cut -d . -f 1`;j=$j".mov";echo mv \"$file\" \"$j\"; done

To make it work:

for file in *.MP4.mov; do j=`echo $file | cut -d . -f 1`;j=$j".mov";mv "$file" "$j"; done

edited Oct 13 '17 at 23:52

answered Apr 24 '13 at 20:48

SONIC3D

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Thanks for the one line solution – semihcosu Sep 12 '17 at 08:38

score 14 · Answer 4 · answered Aug 04 '16 at 15:02

14

On mac OSX you can install the rename command via Homebrew: brew install rename

Then you can rename using find/replace from that folder on the command line:

rename 's/\.MP4\././' *

You also can see more options using man rename.

answered Aug 04 '16 at 15:02

YPCrumble

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score 11 · Answer 5 · answered Oct 01 '13 at 02:08

11

for n in *.MP4.mov
do
   mv $n $(echo $n | sed -e 's/.MP4//')
done

This will work even on really old shells that don't have parameter substitution, and it's a tad more readable to my eyes at least.

answered Oct 01 '13 at 02:08

vielmetti

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I have applied this to files that use `_MG_` in their name that I needed to change to `-IMG_` perfectly by modifying with a `*` and a `*` in the middle. Worked a charm. Thank you! – Danijel-James W Oct 01 '14 at 01:53

score 5 · Answer 6 · answered May 21 '18 at 06:19

OS X has a Rename Files… contextual menu item which is invoked when you select two or more files in Finder. Provides the same function as the Automator answer up above. Though Automator provides you with the tools to go further if you wish.

(I know OP asked for Terminal but 33 others like Automator response)

score 1 · Answer 7 · edited Oct 25 '13 at 11:31

1

for i in `ls *png`;do echo mv $i "${i%%.*}"@xx."${i##*.}";done

edited Oct 25 '13 at 11:31

DisgruntledGoat

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answered Aug 13 '13 at 12:29

Yosi Taguri

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score 1 · Answer 8 · answered Aug 13 '17 at 04:43

vimv lets you rename multiple files using Vim's text editing capabilities.

Entering vimv opens a Vim window which lists down all files and you can do pattern matching, visual select, etc to edit the names. After you exit Vim, the files will be renamed.

[Disclaimer: I'm the author of the tool]

score 0 · Answer 9 · answered Mar 22 '11 at 16:02

0

ls -1 *.MP4.mov | while read f; do mv -i "$f" "$(basename \"$f\" .MP4.mov)"; done

Edit: completly rewritten.

answered Mar 22 '11 at 16:02

Philipp T.

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If it does what you want, remove the -i – Philipp T. Mar 22 '11 at 16:05
i mean, it thinks there should be a continuation of the line – Jake Wilde Mar 22 '11 at 16:07
what it did was rename it to `"nnn.MP4.mov".mov` – Jake Wilde Mar 22 '11 at 16:07

sharpner · Answer 10 · 2011-03-22T16:22:15.457

0

for i in *; 
do j=`echo $i | cut -d . -f 1`; 
j=$j".mov";
mv $i $j; 
done

this will cut everything before the first dot and appends .mov

but if some files are e.g. hi.2.mov and hi.1.mov one will be overwritten, so use it carefully ^^

edited Mar 22 '11 at 16:22

answered Mar 22 '11 at 16:13

sharpner

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How can I batch rename files using the Terminal?

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