prename - Man Page

• Rename files using a Perl Common Regular Expression (substitute 'foo' with 'bar' wherever found): rename 's/foo/bar/' *
• Dry-run - display which renames would occur without performing them: rename -n 's/foo/bar/' *
• Force renaming even if the operation would remove existing destination files: rename -f 's/foo/bar/' *
• Convert filenames to lower case (use -f in case-insensitive filesystems to prevent "already exists" errors): rename 'y/A-Z/a-z/' *
• Replace whitespace with underscores: rename 's/\s+/_/g' *

tldr.sh

prename [-bcfilnv] [-B prefix] [-S suffix] [-V method] [-Y prefix] [-z suffix] [--backup] [--copy] [--basename-prefix=prefix] [--dry-run] [--force] [--help] [--no-stdin] [--interactive] [--just-print] [--link-only] [--prefix=prefix] [--suffix=suffix] [--verbose] [--version-control=method] [--version] perlexpr [files]...

prename renames the filenames supplied according to the rule specified as the first argument.  The argument is a Perl expression which is expected to modify the $_ string for at least some of the filenames specified.  If a given filename is not modified by the expression, it will not be renamed. If no filenames are given on the command line, filenames will be read via standard input (unless --no-stdin is supplied on the command line).

If a destination file is unwritable, the standard input is a tty, and the -f or --force option is not given, prename prompts the user for whether to overwrite the file.  If the response does not begin with `y' or `Y', the file is skipped.

-b,  --backup

Make backup files.  That is, when about to overwrite a file, rename the original instead of removing it.  See the -V or --version-control option fo details about how backup file names are determined.

-B prefix, --prefix=prefix

Use the simple method to determine backup file names (see the -V method or --version-control=method option), and prepend prefix to a file name when generating its backup file name.

-c,  --copy

Copy files to the new names instead of renaming them. This will keep the original files.

-f,  --force

Remove existing destination files and never prompt the user.

-h,  --help

Print a summary of options and exit.

--no-stdin

Disable reading of filenames from STDIN. Us it when your shell has nullglob enabled to make sure prename doesn't wait for input.

-i,  --interactive

Prompt whether to overwrite each destination file that already exists. If the response does not begin with `y' or `Y', the file is skipped.

-l,  --link-only

Link files to the new names instead of renaming them. This will keep the original files.

-n,  --just-print,  --dry-run

Do everything but the actual renaming, instead just print the name of each file that would be renamed. When used together with --verbose, also print names of backups (which may or may not be correct depending on previous renaming).

-v,  --verbose

Print the name of each file before renaming it.

-V method, --version-control=method

Use method to determine backup file names.  The method can also be given by the RENAME_VERSION_CONTROL (or if that's not set, the VERSION_CONTROL) environment variable, which is overridden by this option.  This option does not affect whether backup files are made; it affects only the name of any backup files that are made.

The value of method is like the GNU Emacs `version-control' variable; prename also recognize synonyms that are more descriptive.  The valid values are (unique abbreviations are accepted):

existing or nil

Make numbered backups of files that already have them, otherwise simple backups. This is the default.

numbered or t

Make numbered backups.  The numbered backup file name for F is F.~N~ where N is the version number.

simple or never

Make simple backups.  The -B or --prefix, -Y or --basename-prefix, and -z or --suffix options specify the simple backup file name.  If none of these options are given, then a simple backup suffix is used, either the value of SIMPLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX environment variable if set, or ~ otherwise.

--version

Print version information on standard output then exit successfully.

-Y prefix, --basename-prefix=prefix

Use the simple method to determine backup file names (see the -V method or --version-control=method option), and prefix prefix to the basename of a file name when generating its backup file name. For example, with -Y .del/ the simple backup file name for a/b/foo is a/b/.del/foo.

-z suffix, -S suffix, --suffix=suffix

Use the simple method to determine backup file names (see the -V method or --version-control=method option), and append suffix to a file name when generating its backup file name.

--shell-completion=shell, --shellcompletion=shell

Generate shell code for parameter completion for either bash or zsh.

To rename all files matching *.bak to strip the extension, you might say

    prename 's/\e.bak$//' *.bak

To translate uppercase names to lower, you'd use

    prename 'y/A-Z/a-z/' *

More examples:

    prename 's/\.flip$/.flop/' *     # rename *.flip to *.flop
    prename s/flip/flop/ *           # rename *flip* to *flop*
    prename 's/^s\.(.*)/$1.X/' *     # switch sccs filenames around
    prename 's/$/.orig/' */*.[ch]    # add .orig to source files in */
    prename 'y/A-Z/a-z/' *           # lowercase all filenames in .
    prename 'y/A-Z/a-z/ if -B' *     # same, but just binaries!
or even
    prename chop *~                  # restore all ~ backup files

Two environment variables are used, SIMPLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX and VERSION_CONTROL.  See "Options".

mv(1) and perl(1)

If you give an invalid Perl expression you'll get a syntax error.

Peder Stray <pederst@cpan.org>, original script from Larry Wall.

Report any issues at <https://github.com/pstray/rename/issues>.