Last updated:
Quick answer: use mv source destination. For example, mv report.txt ~/Documents/ moves report.txt into the Documents folder. To move several files, list them all and end with the destination folder: mv file1.txt file2.txt samples/. Add -i to be asked before overwriting.
Almost all Linux distributions allow us to create, delete, and move files. One of the most frequent tasks while using Linux is moving files and folders from one place to another
This guide will demonstrate how to move files to other folders in Linux using the command line terminal and GUI.
How do I move a file to another folder in Linux?
To move a single file or multiple files to another folder or simply change the directory of a file, two methods are frequently used.
- Using Command-Line
- Using GUI
Let’s discuss them one by one.
Method 1: Move a File to Another Folder in Linux Using Command Line
To change the directory of a file, we can use the mv command. This command changes the location of the file to the specified directory etc.
The syntax of the mv command is demonstrated below:
$ mv file.txt dirFor instance, we can see that the sample.txt file is present in the home directory
It can be seen that the directory of the file is changed from Home to Home/Documents.
Let’s change the location of multiple files using the mv command.
The syntax is as follows:
$ mv file1 file2 dirWe can see that the two files named file1.txt and file2.txt are in the home directory. Let’s move them into the samples directory
Stuck at this step? Ask us, it is free and include the exact error.
It can be seen that the location of the files has been changed successfully.
Method 2: Move a File to Another Folder in Linux Using GUI
A simple and most commonly used method to change the location of files and directories is the GUI (Graphical User Interface) method.
Let’s demonstrate this method with the help of an example:
We can see that the workfile.txt is currently in the home directory. Let’s change its location.
Right-click on the file and select Move to Button.
Now choose the folder where you want to locate your file. In our case, it’s the Samples folder.
It can be seen that the directory of the workfile.txt is changed from Home to Home/Samples.
mv options that prevent mistakes
By default mv silently replaces a file with the same name in the destination folder, and there is no undo. These options make it safer. I ran each one on Ubuntu 24.04 (GNU coreutils 9.4):
| Option | What it does | Observed behaviour |
|---|---|---|
-v | Verbose: prints each move | renamed 'file1.txt' -> 'samples/file1.txt' |
-i | Asks before overwriting | Prints mv: overwrite 'Documents/sample.txt'? and keeps the old file if you answer n |
-n | Never overwrites an existing file | Prints mv: not replacing 'Documents/sample.txt' and exits with status 1 on coreutils 9.4 |
-t DIR | Names the destination first, handy with xargs | mv -v -t samples/ Documents/sample.txt moved the file into samples/ |
Two more things worth knowing. File names with spaces need quotes, for example mv "my file.txt" "My Folder/". And mv is also how you rename a file: mv old-name.txt new-name.txt keeps it in the same folder under the new name.
mv -iv report.txt ~/Documents/Conclusion
To locate a single file or multiple files to other folders in Linux, two methods are frequently used such as the Command line method and the GUI method. In the command line, use the mv file.txt dir command to change the location of a single file. In the GUI method, simply right-click the file that you want to move, select Move to, and simply select the folder where you want to locate your file. This write-up has illustrated how to move files to other folders in Linux using the command line terminal and GUI.