MV

Section: User Commands (1)
Updated: February 2026
Index Return to Main Contents

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NAME

mv - move (rename) files  

SYNOPSIS

mv [,OPTION/]... [,-T/] ,SOURCE DEST/
mv [,OPTION/]... ,SOURCE/... ,DIRECTORY/
mv [,OPTION/]... ,-t DIRECTORY SOURCE/...  

DESCRIPTION

Rename SOURCE to DEST, or move SOURCE(s) to DIRECTORY.

Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#m-backup'--backup[=CONTROL]X'tty: link'

make a backup of each existing destination file

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#m-b'-bX'tty: link'

like --backup but does not accept an argument

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#m-debug'--debugX'tty: link'

explain how a file is copied. Implies -v

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#m-exchange'--exchangeX'tty: link'

exchange source and destination

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#m-f'-f, --forceX'tty: link'

do not prompt before overwriting

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#m-i'-i, --interactiveX'tty: link'

prompt before overwrite

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#m-n'-n, --no-clobberX'tty: link'

do not overwrite an existing file

If you specify more than one of -i, -f, -n, only the final one takes effect.

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#m-n-copy'--no-copyX'tty: link'

do not copy if renaming fails

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#m-stri-trailin-slashes'--strip-trailing-slashesX'tty: link'

remove any trailing slashes from each SOURCE argument

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#m-S'-S, --suffix=,SUFFIXX'tty: link'/

override the usual backup suffix

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#m-t'-t, --target-directory=,DIRECTORYX'tty: link'/

move all SOURCE arguments into DIRECTORY

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#m-T'-T, --no-target-directoryX'tty: link'

treat DEST as a normal file

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#m-update'--update[=UPDATE]X'tty: link'

control which existing files are updated; UPDATE={all,none,none-fail,older(default)}

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#m-u'-uX'tty: link'

equivalent to --update[=,older/]. See below

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#m-v'-v, --verboseX'tty: link'

explain what is being done

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#m-Z'-Z, --contextX'tty: link'

set SELinux security context of destination file to default type

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/mv#m-help'--helpX'tty: link'

display this help and exit

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/mv#m-version'--versionX'tty: link'

output version information and exit

UPDATE controls which existing files in the destination are replaced. 'all' is the default operation when an --update option is not specified, and results in all existing files in the destination being replaced. 'none' is like the --no-clobber option, in that no files in the destination are replaced, and skipped files do not induce a failure. 'none-fail' also ensures no files are replaced in the destination, but any skipped files are diagnosed and induce a failure. 'older' is the default operation when --update is specified, and results in files being replaced if they're older than the corresponding source file.

The backup suffix is '~', unless set with --suffix or SIMPLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX. The version control method may be selected via the --backup option or through the VERSION_CONTROL environment variable. Here are the values:

none, off

never make backups (even if --backup is given)

numbered, t

make numbered backups

existing, nil

numbered if numbered backups exist, simple otherwise

simple, never

always make simple backups

 

AUTHOR

Written by Mike Parker, David MacKenzie, and Jim Meyering.  

REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to: bug-coreutils@gnu.org

Report Gentoo bugs to: https://bugs.gentoo.org/
GNU coreutils home page: <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>
General help using GNU software: <https://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>
Report any translation bugs to <https://translationproject.org/team/>  

SEE ALSO

rename(2)

Full documentation <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/mv>
or available locally via: info aq(coreutils) mv invocationaq

Packaged by Gentoo (9.10 (p0))
Copyright © 2026 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

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Index

NAME

SYNOPSIS

DESCRIPTION

AUTHOR

REPORTING BUGS

SEE ALSO