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diff --git a/help/en/bash/mmv.html b/help/en/bash/mmv.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8299791 --- /dev/null +++ b/help/en/bash/mmv.html @@ -0,0 +1,316 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd"><html> +<head> +<link rel="STYLESHEET" href="../term_tools/main.css" type="text/css"> +<title>mmv MAN Page</title> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> +</head><body><!-- #BeginLibraryItem "/Library/head_bash.lbi" --><div id="nav-menu"> +<ul> +<li><a class="rl" href="../term_tools/index.html"><img src="../term_tools/images/ss64.gif" title="Home" alt="Home"></a></li> +<li><a class="rl" href="../term_tools/bash"><img src="../term_tools/images/bash-l.gif" title="bash" alt="bash"></a></li> +<li><!-- Search Google --> +<form action="http://www.google.com/search" method="get" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;"> +<div align="right"> +<input name="q" type="text" class="body" size="25"> +<input class="submit" type="submit" value="Search"> +<input type="hidden" name="q" value="site:ss64.com/bash/"> +</div> +</form></li> +<li><a class="rr" href="syntax.html"><img src="../term_tools/images/syntax-r.gif" title="Bash Syntax"></a></li> +</ul> +</div> <!-- #EndLibraryItem --><h1>mmv</h1> +<p>Mass Move and rename - Move, copy, append or link Multiple <b>files</b> using wildcard patterns.</p> +<pre>Syntax + mmv [<i>Source_Option</i>] [-h] [-d|p] [-g|t] [-v|n] [--] [<i>from</i> <i>to</i>] + +Options: + -h help + + -d Delete + -p Protect (don't delete or overwrite) + -g Go + -t Terminate + -v verbose mode + -n no-execute mode (display messages about what would have been done) + +Source_Options: + + -m <b>Move</b> source file to target name. + Both must be on the same device. Will not move directories. + If the source file is a symbolic link, moves the link without checking + if the link's target from the new directory is different than the old. + + -x same as -m, except cross-device moves are done by copying, then deleting source. + When copying, sets the permission bits and file modification time of the target + file to that of the source file. + + -r <b>Rename</b> source file or directory to target name. + The target name must not include a path: the file remains in the same directory + in all cases. This option is the only way of renaming directories under mmv. + + -c <b>Copy</b> source file to target name. + Sets the file modification time and permission bits of the target file to that + of the source file, regardless of whether the target file already exists. + Chains and cycles (to be explained below) are not allowed. + + -o <b>Overwrite</b> target name with source file. + If target file exists, it is overwritten, keeping its original owner and + permission bits. If it does not exist, it is created, with read-write permission + bits set according to <a href="umask.html">umask</a>, and the execute permission bits copied from the + source file. In either case, the file modification time is set to the current time. + + -a <b>Append</b> contents of source file to target name. + Target file modification time is set to the current time. If target file does not + exist, it is created with permission bits set as under -o. + Unlike all other options, -a allows multiple source files to have the same target name, + e.g. "mmv -a \*.c big" will append all ".c" files to "big". + Chains and cycles are also allowed, so "mmv -a f f" will double up "f". + + -l <b>Link</b> target name to source file. + Both must be on the same device, and the source must not be a directory. + Chains and cycles are not allowed. + + -s Same as -l, but use symbolic links instead of hard links. + For the resulting link to aim back at the source, either the source name + must begin with a '/', or the target must reside in either the current or the + source directory. If none of these conditions are met, the link is refused. + However, source and target can reside on different devices, and the source can be a directory. + + If no <i>source_option</i> is specified, the task is given by the command name under which mmv was invoked (argv[0]): + + command_name default task + + mmv -x (Move except cross device) + mcp -c (Copy) + mad -a (Append) + mln -l (Link) + +Options need not be given separately, i.e. "mmv -mk" is allowed.</pre> +<p>Mmv moves (or copies, appends, or links, as specified) each source file +matching a <b>from</b> pattern to the target name specified by the <b>to</b> pattern.</p> +<p>This multiple action is performed safely, i.e. without any unexpected +deletion of files due to collisions of target names with existing filenames or with other target names. Furthermore, before doing anything, +mmv attempts to detect any errors that would result from the entire set +of actions specified and gives the user the choice of either proceeding +by avoiding the offending parts or aborting. </p> +<p>mmv does support large +files (LFS) but it does *NOT* support sparse files (i.e. it explodes +them).</p> +<p><b>Multiple Pattern Pairs</b><br> +<br> +Multiple<span class="code"> from -- to</span> pattern pairs may be specified by omitting the pattern pair on the command line, and entering them on the standard input, +one pair per line. (If a pattern pair is given on the command line, +the standard input is not read.) Thus,<br> +<br> +<span class="code">mmv<br> +a b<br> +c d</span><br> +<br> +would rename "a" to "b" and "c" to "d". </p> +<p>If a file can be matched to +several of the given from patterns, the to pattern of the first matching pair is used. Thus,<br> +<br> +<span class="code">mmv<br> +a b<br> +a c</span><br> +<br> +would give the error message "a -> c : no match" because file "a" (even +if it exists) was already matched by the first pattern pair.<br> +<br> +<b>The From Pattern</b><br> +<br> +The <span class="code">from</span> pattern is a filename with embedded wildcards: ’<span class="code">*</span>’, ’<span class="code">?</span>’, +’<span class="code">[</span>’...’<span class="code">]</span>’, and ’<span class="code">;</span>’. The first three have their usual sh(1) meanings +of, respectively, matching any string of characters, matching any single character, and matching any one of a set of characters.<br> +<br> +Between the ’[’ and ’]’, a range from character ’a’ through character ’z’ is specified with "a-z". The set of matching characters can be +negated by inserting a ’<span class="code">^</span>’ after the ’[’. Thus, <span class="code">"[^b-e2-5_]"</span> will +match any character but ’b’ through ’e’, ’2’ through ’5’, and ’_’.<br> +<br> +Note that paths are allowed in the patterns, and wildcards may be +intermingled with slashes arbitrarily. The ’;’ wildcard is useful for +matching files at any depth in the directory tree. It matches the same +as "*/" repeated any number of times, including zero, and can only +occur either at the beginning of the pattern or following a ’/’. Thus<span class="code"> ";*.c"</span> will match all ".c" files in or below the current directory, +while "/;*.c" will match them anywhere on the file system.<br> +<br> +In addition, if the from pattern (or the to pattern) begins with "~/", +the ’~’ is replaced with the home directory name. (Note that the "~user" feature of csh(1) is not implemented.) However, the ’~’ is not +treated as a wildcard, in the sense that it is not assigned a wildcard +index (see below).<br> +<br> +Since matching a directory under a task option other than -r or -s +would result in an error, tasks other than -r and -s match directories +only against completely explicit from patterns (i.e. not containing +wildcards). Under -r and -s, this applies only to "." and "..".<br> +<br> +Files beginning with ’.’ are only matched against from patterns that +begin with an explicit ’.’. However, if -h is specified, they are +matched normally.<br> +<br> +Warning: since the shell normally expands wildcards before passing the +command-line arguments to mmv, it is usually necessary to enclose the +command-line from and to patterns in quotes.<br> +<b><br> +The To Pattern</b><br> +<br> +The <span class="code">to</span> pattern is a filename with embedded wildcard indexes, where an +index consists of the character ’<span class="code">#</span>’ followed by a string of digits.</p> +<p>When a source file matches a <span class="code">from</span> pattern, a target name for the file +is constructed out of the <span class="code">to</span> pattern by replacing the wildcard indexes +by the actual characters that matched the referenced wildcards in the +source name. Thus, if the from pattern is <span class="code">"abc*.*"</span> and the to pattern +is <span class="code">"xyz#2.#1"</span>, then "abc.txt" is targeted to "xyztxt.". (The first ’<span class="code">*</span>’ +matched <span class="code">""</span>, and the second matched "txt".) Similarly, for the pattern +pair <span class="code">";*.[clp]" -> "#1#3/#2"</span>, "foo1/foo2/prog.c" is targeted to "foo1/foo2/c/prog". Note that there is no ’/’ following the "#1" in +the to pattern, since the string matched by any ’;’ is always either +empty or ends in a ’/’. In this case, it matches "foo1/foo2/".<br> +<br> +To convert the string matched by a wildcard to either lowercase or +uppercase before embedding it in the target name, insert ’<span class="code">l</span>’ or ’<span class="code">u</span>’, +respectively, between the ’#’ and the string of digits.<br> +<br> +The <span class="code">to</span> pattern, like the <span class="code">from</span> pattern, can begin with a "~/" (see +above). This does not necessitate enclosing the <span class="code">to</span> pattern in quotes +on the command line since csh(1) expands the ’~’ in the exact same manner as mmv (or, in the case of sh(1), does not expand it at all).<br> +<br> +For all task options other than -r, if the target name is a directory, +the real target name is formed by appending a ’/’ followed by the last +component of the source file name. For example, <span class="code">"mmv dir1/a dir2"</span> +will, if "dir2" is indeed a directory, actually move "dir1/a" to "dir2/a". However, if "dir2/a" already exists and is itself a directory, this is considered an error.<br> +<br> +To strip any character (e.g. ’*’, ’?’, or ’#’) of its special meaning +to mmv, as when the actual replacement name must contain the character ’<span class="code">#</span>’, precede the special character with a ´<span class="code">\</span>’ (and enclose the argument +in quotes because of the shell). This also works to terminate a wildcard index when it has to be followed by a digit in the filename, e.g. +<span class="code">"a#1\1"</span>.<br> +<br> +<b>Chains and Cycles</b><br> +<br> +A chain is a sequence of specified actions where the target name of one +action refers to the source file of another action. For example,<br> +<br> +<span class="code">mmv<br> +a b<br> +b c</span><br> +<br> +specifies the chain "a" -> "b" -> "c". A cycle is a chain where the +last target name refers back to the first source file, e.g. "mmv a a".</p> +<p> Mmv detects chains and cycles regardless of the order in which their +constituent actions are actually given. Where allowed, i.e. in moving, +renaming, and appending files, chains and cycles are handled gracefully, by performing them in the proper order. Cycles are broken by +first renaming one of the files to a temporary name (or just remembering its original size when doing appends).<br> +<br> +<b>Collisions and Deletions</b><br> +<br> +When any two or more matching files would have to be moved, copied, or +linked to the same target filename, mmv detects the condition as an +error before performing any actions. Furthermore, mmv checks if any of +its actions will result in the destruction of existing files. </p> +<p>If the +<span class="code">-d (delete)</span> option is specified, all file deletions or overwrites are +done silently. </p> +<p>Under <span class="code">-p (protect)</span>, all deletions or overwrites (except +those specified with "(*)" on the standard input, see below) are +treated as errors. And if neither option is specified, the user is +queried about each deletion or overwrite separately. (A new stream to "/dev/tty" is used for all interactive queries, not the standard +input.)<br> +<b><br> +Error Handling</b><br> +<br> +Whenever any error in the user’s action specifications is detected, an +error message is given on the standard output, and mmv proceeds to +check the rest of the specified actions. Once all errors are detected, +mmv queries the user whether he wishes to continue by avoiding the +erroneous actions or to abort altogether. This and all other queries +may be avoided by specifying either the <span class="code">-g (go) or -t (terminate)</span><br> +option. The former will resolve all difficulties by avoiding the erroneous actions; the latter will abort mmv if any errors are detected.<br> +Specifying either of them defaults mmv to -p, unless -d is specified +(see above). Thus, -g and -t are most useful when running mmv in the +background or in a shell script, when interactive queries are undesirable.<br> +<b><br> +Reports</b><br> +<br> +Once the actions to be performed are determined, mmv performs them +silently, unless either the -v (verbose) or -n (no-execute) option is +specified. The former causes mmv to report each performed action on +the standard output as<br> +<br> +<span class="code">a -> b : done.</span><br> +<br> +Here, "a" and "b" would be replaced by the source and target names, +respectively. If the action deletes the old target, a "(*)" is +inserted after the the target name. Also, the "->" symbol is modified +when a cycle has to be broken: the ’>’ is changed to a ’^’ on the +action prior to which the old target is renamed to a temporary, and the’-’ is changed to a ’=’ on the action where the temporary is used.<br> +<br> +Under <span class="code">-n</span>, none of the actions are performed, but messages like the +above are printed on the standard output with the ": done." omitted.<br> +<br> +The output generated by <span class="code">-n</span> can (after editing, if desired) be fed back +to mmv on the standard input (by omitting the <span class="code">from -- to </span>pair on the +mmv command line). To facilitate this, mmv ignores lines on the standard input that look like its own error and "done" messages, as well as +all lines beginning with white space, and will accept pattern pairs<br> +with or without the intervening "->" (or "-^", "=>", or "=^"). Lines +with "(*)" after the target pattern have the effect of enabling <span class="code">-d</span> for +the files matching this pattern only, so that such deletions are done +silently. When feeding mmv its own output, one must remember to specify again the task option (if any) originally used to generate it.<br> +<br> +Although mmv attempts to predict all mishaps prior to performing any +specified actions, accidents may happen. For example, mmv does not +check for adequate free space when copying. Thus, despite all efforts, +it is still possible for an action to fail after some others have +already been done. To make recovery as easy as possible, mmv reports +which actions have already been done and which are still to be performed after such a failure occurs. It then aborts, not attempting to +do anything else. Once the user has cleared up the problem, he can +feed this report back to mmv on the standard input to have it complete +the task. (The user is queried for a file name to dump this report if +the standard output has not been redirected.)</p> +<p>Mmv exits with status 1 if it aborts before doing anything, with status +2 if it aborts due to failure after completing some of the actions, and +with status 0 otherwise.<br> +Example</p> +<p><b>BUGS</b></p> +<p> If the search pattern is not quoted, the shell expands the wildcards. +Mmv then (usually) gives some error message, but can not determine that +the lack of quotes is the cause.<br> +<br> +To avoid difficulties in semantics and error checking, mmv refuses to +move or create directories.</p> +<p>If the mmv tool is not installed on your distro, get it with: <span class="code">apt-get install mmv</span></p> +<p><b><a name="examples"></a>Examples</b></p> +<p>Rename the file extension of all .csv files in the current directory to .xls</p> +<p class="code">mmv "<b>*</b>.csv" "<b>#1</b>.xls"</p> +<p>Copy <span class="code">report6part4.txt</span> to <span class="code">./french/rapport6partie4.txt</span> along with all similarly named files: </p> +<p class="code">mmv -c "report<b>*</b>part<b>*</b>.txt" "./french/rapport<b>#1</b>partie<b>#2</b>.txt"</p> +<p>Append the contents of all .txt files into one file:</p> +<p class="code">mmv -a "*.txt" "all.txt" </p> +<p><i>“All things change, nothing is extinguished. There is nothing in the whole world which is permanent. Everything flows onward; all things are brought into being with a changing nature; the ages themselves glide by in constant movement” - Ovid</i></p> +<p><b>Related bash commands</b>:<br> +<br> +<a href="mv.html">mv</a> - Move or rename files or directories<br> +<a href="cp.html">cp</a> - Copy one or more files to another location<br> +<a href="ln.html">ln</a> - Make links between files<br> +<a href="umask.html">umask</a> - Users file creation mask</p> +<!-- #BeginLibraryItem "/Library/foot_bash.lbi" --><p align="left"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- +google_ad_client = "pub-6140977852749469"; +google_ad_width = 300; +google_ad_height = 250; +google_ad_format = "300x250_as"; +google_ad_type = "text_image"; +google_ad_channel ="1984328893"; +google_color_border = "CCCCCC"; +google_color_bg = "CCCCCC"; +google_color_link = "000000"; +google_color_text = "333333"; +google_color_url = "0000FF"; +//--></script> +<script type="text/javascript" + src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> +</script><br> +</p> +<div align="center"><hr size="1"> + <p id="top"><a href="#"><img src="../term_tools/images/top-4.gif" width="47" height="53" border="0" alt="Back to the Top" title="Back to the Top"></a></p> + <p class="tagline">© Copyright <a href="http://ss64.com/">SS64.com</a> 1999-2010<br> +Some rights reserved<br> +</p> +</div><!-- #EndLibraryItem --></body> +</html> |