Renaming multiple files in Linux is no longer a tedious task. Despite the difficulty of the operation, there are several simple and efficient ways of doing it—from writing short commands in the Termial, to using additional applications. Before elaborating the main methods, it’s worth noting that none of them is right or wrong and it all comes down to user preferences.Below is an explanation of each possible alternative in ascending order or complexity.
The easiest approach to renaming multiple files in Linux is by using the `mv` command. To rename a certain file, one needs to open a Terminal window and write: `mv’ followed by the current name of the file, a space, then the desired new name. For instance `mv oldname.png newname.png` This command allows for the renaming of a single file. Nevertheless it can be used for multiple changes. In order to be able to perform such operation, a wildcard needs to be implemented.
Another way of renaming multiple files in Linux is by using the `for` command. To run the command, the following syntax needs to be used: `for file in ~/dir/*.jpg; do mv $file ~/dir/newname*.jpg; done` As a result, all the selected files with the same extension will be renamed according to the specified pattern.
A third approach is to use an app like GPRename. This is a GUI tool that simplifies the tedious process of renaming files by graphs. This powerful application allows users to select the files they want to rename and gives them the possibility to choose numerous specific templates. Despite its comfortability, this alternative is not free and the user needs to pay 15$ for full access.
In conclusion, when it comes to handling multiple rename operations there are several approaches to successfully manage the process. Although the more comfortable solutions require a payment, it is also possible to easily change multiple files’ names with a few simple commands in the Terminal. Thus, it all depends on user preferences.