Modify File Names Bash Find Lowest Level
In this article, we will discuss how to modify file names using Bash find command, focusing on the lowest level files and folders. This technique can be useful when you need to rename a large number of files or folders, or when you want to change a particular character or pattern that may cause problems in certain applications, scripts or NFS/SMB.
Why is it necessary to modify file names?
There are several reasons why you might need to modify file names. For instance, some applications or scripts may not support certain characters or patterns in file names. Additionally, NFS/SMB may have issues with certain characters or symbols. Therefore, it's essential to modify file names to ensure compatibility and avoid any potential issues.
Using Bash find command to modify file names
The Bash find command is a powerful tool for searching files and directories in a Linux or Unix-like system. It can be used with various options and expressions to match and perform actions on files or directories based on specific criteria.
To modify file names using Bash find command, you can use the following command structure:
find -type f -name '' -exec {} \;
Where:
find: invokes the find command-type f: specifies that you are searching for files (-type d would search for directories)-name ': specifies the file name pattern to match' -exec: specifies the command to execute on each matched file, represented by the brace pair {}{} \;
Changing problematic characters or patterns
To change a particular character or pattern that causes problems, you can use the following command structure:
find -type f -name '' -exec rename 's///g' {} \;
Where:
rename: is a Perl-based rename utility that replaces specified stringss/: is the substitution command, where/ /g is the string to search for, is the string to replace it with, and g stands for global (i.e., replace all occurrences in the file name)
Example: Changing Chinese characters ?:？ to -
Assuming we have the following files:
data/file-中-file.txt
data/file-问-file.txt
data/file-号-file.txt
To change the Chinese characters ?:？ (?) to -, we can use the following command:
find data -type f -name '*[？？]*' -exec rename 's/[？？]/-/g' {} \;
The result would be:
data/file-中-file.txt (unchanged)
data/file-问-file.txt > data/file-$-file.txt
data/file-号-file.txt > data/file--file.txt
Changing file names at the lowest level
To modify file names at the lowest level, you can combine the Bash find command with the tree command.
The tree command displays a graphical representation of directory structures and file names. By combining it with the
Assuming we have the following files:
data/file-中-file.txt
data/file-问-file.txt
data/file-号-file.txt
To change the Chinese characters
find data -type f -name '*[？？]*' -exec rename 's/[？？]/-/g' {} \;
The result would be:
data/file-中-file.txt (unchanged)
data/file-问-file.txt > data/file-$-file.txt
data/file-号-file.txt > data/file--file.txt
Changing file names at the lowest level
To modify file names at the lowest level, you can combine the Bash find command with the tree command.
The tree command displays a graphical representation of directory structures and file names. By combining it with the