Shell: Move file and folder listed in a list

Question

I'm using Alpine Linux and would like to move specified files and folders from a list. My final goal being to reset a folder by making a backup of some files and folders inside it.

Here is my current script:

cd /mnt/server

mkdir /tmp/backup

[ -d folderOne ] && mv folderOne /tmp/backup
[ -f fileOne.txt ] && mv fileOne.txt /tmp/backup

rm -fr *
rm -fr .*

[ -d /tmp/backup/folderOne ] && mv /tmp/backup/folderOne /mnt/server
[ -f /tmp/backup/fileOne.txt ] && mv /tmp/backup/fileOne.txt /mnt/server

rm -fr /tmp/backup

I would like to use a list to avoid script redundancy and use as few external software as possible. So the idea would be to have a list containing the path to the folders and files to backup. I would use a for loop to go through the list and, if the file/folder exists, then move it by recreating the hierarchy if necessary.

folder/folder2/file.txt would recreate the missing folders and place the file there. And if it is a folder (folder/folderTwo) then it recreates the missing hierarchy and places the folder (and its contents) in it.

choroba · Answer 1 · 2022-02-23T10:33:18.013

1

#! /bin/bash
set -eu

workdir=/mnt/server

cd "$workdir"

mkdir /tmp/backup

movables=(folderOne fileOne.txt folder/folder2/file.txt)

for move in "${movables[@]}" ; do
    if [[ -d $move || -f $move ]] ; then
        if [[ "$move" = */* ]] ; then
            mkdir -p /tmp/backup/"${move%/*}"
        fi
        mv "$move" /tmp/backup/"${move%/*}"
    fi
done

shopt -s extglob
rm -fr !(.|..)

find /tmp/backup

for move in "${movables[@]}" ; do
    if [[ -d /tmp/backup/$move || -f /tmp/backup/$move ]] ; then
        if [[ "$move" = */* ]] ; then
            mkdir -p "$workdir/${move%/*}"
        fi
        mv /tmp/backup/"$move" "$workdir"
    fi
done

rm -fr /tmp/backup

edited Feb 23 '22 at 10:33

answered Feb 23 '22 at 09:26

choroba

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Thank for your answer. What do you mean? Where should I place `/tmp/backup/${move##*/}`? – Maelep Feb 23 '22 at 09:53
In the second for loop. And don't forget to double quote it. – choroba Feb 23 '22 at 09:55
Do you mean `if [ -d "/tmp/backup/${move##*/}" ] || [ -f "/tmp/backup/${move##*/}" ] ; then`? Does `mv` will recreate the path if my path is `folder/folder2/file.txt`? I found [this](https://stackoverflow.com/a/547736/18134332). – Maelep Feb 23 '22 at 10:04
No, it won't. You need to `mkdir -p` it if you want it. – choroba Feb 23 '22 at 10:14
Updated including a `folder/folder2/file.txt` path – choroba Feb 23 '22 at 10:34
I think it's isn't compatible with Alpine Linux that uses `sh`, not `bash`, no? – Maelep Feb 23 '22 at 11:19
There are no arrays in `sh`, so your question doesn't make sense. – choroba Feb 23 '22 at 11:50
I'm noob at `shell` but by array I mean a list of path to file and folder to save. – Maelep Feb 23 '22 at 12:01
So please try to fix the question or ask a new one with all the relevant details and constraints. – choroba Feb 23 '22 at 13:27
Titled updated. Sorry. – Maelep Feb 27 '22 at 23:52
The question still mentions an "array". – choroba Feb 28 '22 at 00:32

Shell: Move file and folder listed in a list

1 Answers1