Linux How to rename multiple files at once

I wanted to rename multiple pictures at once because the default name is datetime based e.g. 20230219_072614.jpg. I want to rename them with the index.

something_1.jpg
something_2.jpg
something_3.jpg
…
something_n.jpg

Let’s learn how to do it on Linux.

Who wants only the result

Beware that the directory will also be renamed.

i=1; for item in $(ls -c | grep file-names); do mv -n $item "new-name_$i"; i=$((i+1)) ; done

Understand how for-loop works

A different index needs to be used for each file. So let’s use for-loop here. Go to the target directory and execute the following command.

$ for i in $(ls); do echo $i; done
20230219_072614.jpg
20230219_072849.jpg
20230219_074105.jpg
20230219_074414.jpg
20230219_074620.jpg
20230219_075202.jpg
20230219_075445.jpg
20230219_075713.jpg
20230219_081159.jpg
20230219_081317.jpg
20230219_081539.jpg
20230219_081545.jpg
20230219_081605.jpg
20230219_081620.jpg
20230219_081757.jpg
20230219_081825.jpg

It shows only file names. Let’s update it since we need an index.

$ i=0; for item in $(ls); do echo $i $item; i=$((i+1)); done
0 20230219_072614.jpg
1 20230219_072849.jpg
2 20230219_074105.jpg
3 20230219_074414.jpg
4 20230219_074620.jpg
5 20230219_075202.jpg
6 20230219_075445.jpg
7 20230219_075713.jpg
8 20230219_081159.jpg
9 20230219_081317.jpg
10 20230219_081539.jpg
11 20230219_081545.jpg
12 20230219_081605.jpg
13 20230219_081620.jpg
14 20230219_081757.jpg
15 20230219_081825.jpg

i is index and item is file name. When it’s i=$i+1, it is handled as string.

$ i=0; for item in $(ls); do echo $i $item; i=$i+1; done
0 20230219_072614.jpg
0+1 20230219_072849.jpg
0+1+1 20230219_074105.jpg
0+1+1+1 20230219_074414.jpg
0+1+1+1+1 20230219_074620.jpg
0+1+1+1+1+1 20230219_075202.jpg
0+1+1+1+1+1+1 20230219_075445.jpg
0+1+1+1+1+1+1+1 20230219_075713.jpg
0+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1 20230219_081159.jpg
0+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1 20230219_081317.jpg
0+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1 20230219_081539.jpg
0+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1 20230219_081545.jpg
0+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1 20230219_081605.jpg
0+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1 20230219_081620.jpg
0+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1 20230219_081757.jpg
0+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1 20230219_081825.jpg

So if we want to apply the same command to all files in the directory, the following command can be the base command.

$ i=0; for item in $(ls); do <write the desired command here>; i=$((i+1)); done

Sorting

It’s better to control the order of the files. Let’s check how to sort the result of ls command.

$ ls --help | grep sort
Sort entries alphabetically if none of -cftuvSUX nor --sort is specified.
  -c                         with -lt: sort by, and show, ctime (time of last
                               with -l: show ctime and sort by name;
                               otherwise: sort by ctime, newest first
  -f                         do not sort, enable -aU, disable -ls --color
                               can be augmented with a --sort option, but any
                               use of --sort=none (-U) disables grouping
  -r, --reverse              reverse order while sorting
  -S                         sort by file size, largest first
      --sort=WORD            sort by WORD instead of name: none (-U), size (-S),
                             with --sort=time, sort by WORD (newest first)
  -t                         sort by time, newest first; see --time
  -u                         with -lt: sort by, and show, access time;
                               with -l: show access time and sort by name;
                               otherwise: sort by access time, newest first
  -U                         do not sort; list entries in directory order
  -v                         natural sort of (version) numbers within text
  -X                         sort alphabetically by entry extension

Sort ls result by updated time

To sort the files by updated time in asc order, add -tr. It needs to be reversed, so r option is also needed.

$ ls -ltr
total 26508
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1792365 Feb 19 07:26 20230219_072614.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1969414 Feb 19 07:28 20230219_072849.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1833915 Feb 19 07:41 20230219_074105.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1958573 Feb 19 07:44 20230219_074414.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1708049 Feb 19 07:46 aa20230219_074620.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1470538 Feb 19 07:52 20230219_075202.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1283972 Feb 19 07:54 20230219_075445.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1881061 Feb 19 07:57 bb20230219_075713.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 2104242 Feb 19 08:11 20230219_081159.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1781741 Feb 19 08:13 20230219_081317.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1563078 Feb 19 08:15 20230219_081539.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1419720 Feb 19 08:15 20230219_081545.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1449851 Feb 19 08:16 20230219_081605.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1342188 Feb 19 08:16 20230219_081620.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1682583 Feb 19 08:17 20230219_081757.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1874102 Feb 19 08:18 20230219_081825.jpg

All files are picture taken by my smartphone. Therefore, modify time is before created (Birth) time. The created time is when I copied the data to my PC.

$ stat 20230219_072614.jpg 
  File: 20230219_072614.jpg
  Size: 1792365       Blocks: 3504       IO Block: 4096   regular file
Device: 10302h/66306d    Inode: 15217878    Links: 1
Access: (0740/-rwxr-----)  Uid: ( 1000/    yuto)   Gid: ( 1000/    yuto)
Access: 2023-02-19 09:14:15.816976842 +0100
Modify: 2023-02-19 07:26:14.000000000 +0100
Change: 2023-02-19 09:14:15.704971697 +0100
 Birth: 2023-02-19 09:14:15.692971146 +0100

When it’s used in for-loop, remove -l option.

i=0; for item in $(ls -tr); do <write the desired command here>; i=$((i+1)); done

Sort ls result by created time

If it’s necessary to sort it by created time, add -c option.

$ ls -lc
total 26508
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1792365 Feb 19 09:14 20230219_072614.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1969414 Feb 19 09:14 20230219_072849.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1833915 Feb 19 09:14 20230219_074105.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1958573 Feb 19 09:14 20230219_074414.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1470538 Feb 19 09:14 20230219_075202.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1283972 Feb 19 09:14 20230219_075445.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 2104242 Feb 19 09:14 20230219_081159.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1781741 Feb 19 09:14 20230219_081317.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1563078 Feb 19 09:14 20230219_081539.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1419720 Feb 19 09:14 20230219_081545.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1449851 Feb 19 09:14 20230219_081605.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1342188 Feb 19 09:14 20230219_081620.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1682583 Feb 19 09:14 20230219_081757.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1874102 Feb 19 09:14 20230219_081825.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1708049 Feb 19 09:46 aa20230219_074620.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1881061 Feb 19 09:46 bb20230219_075713.jpg

When it’s used in for-loop, remove -l option.

i=0; for item in $(ls -c); do <write the desired command here>; i=$((i+1)); done

Rename a file

mv command can be used to rename a file.

$ mv 20230219_081159.jpg renamed.jpg
$ ls -l
total 26508
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1792365 Feb 19 07:26 20230219_072614.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1969414 Feb 19 07:28 20230219_072849.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1833915 Feb 19 07:41 20230219_074105.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1958573 Feb 19 07:44 20230219_074414.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1470538 Feb 19 07:52 20230219_075202.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1283972 Feb 19 07:54 20230219_075445.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1781741 Feb 19 08:13 20230219_081317.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1563078 Feb 19 08:15 20230219_081539.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1419720 Feb 19 08:15 20230219_081545.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1449851 Feb 19 08:16 20230219_081605.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1342188 Feb 19 08:16 20230219_081620.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1682583 Feb 19 08:17 20230219_081757.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1874102 Feb 19 08:18 20230219_081825.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1708049 Feb 19 07:46 aa20230219_074620.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 1881061 Feb 19 07:57 bb20230219_075713.jpg
-rwxr----- 1 yuto yuto 2104242 Feb 19 08:11 renamed.jpg

The renamed file is listed at the end here. If you don’t want to overwrite the existing file, add -n option.

Rename multiple files with index

Let’s apply all commands into one command. I want to start with index 1. So the initial value for i is set to 1.

$ i=1; for item in $(ls -c | grep file-name); do mv -n $item "new-name_$i"; i=$((i+1)) ; done
$ ls
new-name_1   new-name_12  new-name_15  new-name_3  new-name_6  new-name_9
new-name_10  new-name_13  new-name_16  new-name_4  new-name_7
new-name_11  new-name_14  new-name_2   new-name_5  new-name_8

Be careful that the directories are also renamed if it matches the grep condition.

Check the following post if you want to register the command.