How to Rename a File in Linux

Rename files and directories with mv, including names containing spaces.

Short answer

$ mv old.txt new.txt

mv changes the pathname. It does not require a separate rename command.

Renaming a file in Linux is a move operation within the same directory. The `mv` command changes the directory entry while leaving the file contents intact.

Step by step

1 Rename a file

$ mv old.txt new.txt

Changes the filename in the current directory.

2 Rename a directory

$ mv old-project new-project

The same syntax works for directories.

3 Handle spaces safely

$ mv "old report.txt" "final report.txt"

Quote filenames containing spaces or other shell metacharacters.

4 Avoid accidental replacement

$ mv -i old.txt new.txt

Interactive mode asks before replacing an existing destination.

Tips worth knowing

Use tab completion to avoid typing complicated filenames incorrectly.
Check `pwd` before using relative paths.
For batch renaming, test a command on a small sample before applying it broadly.