[unix-history] / usr / src / bin / mv / mv.1

.\" Copyright (c) 1980 Regents of the University of California.
.\" All rights reserved.  The Berkeley software License Agreement
.\" specifies the terms and conditions for redistribution.
.\"
.\"	@(#)mv.1	6.1 (Berkeley) %G%
.\"
.TH MV 1 ""
.UC 4
.SH NAME
mv \- move or rename files
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B mv
[
.B \-i
] [
.B \-f
] [
.B \-
] file1 file2
.PP
.B mv
[
.B \-i
] [
.B \-f
] [
.B \-
] file ... directory
.SH DESCRIPTION
.I Mv
moves (changes the name of)
.I file1
to
.IR file2 .
.PP
If
.I file2
already exists, it is removed before
.I file1
is moved.  If
.I file2
has a mode which forbids writing,
.I mv
prints the mode (see
.IR chmod (2))
and reads the standard input to obtain a line; if the line begins with
.B y,
the move takes place; if not,
.I mv
exits.
.PP
In the second form, one or more
.I files
(plain files or directories) are moved to the
.I directory
with their original file-names.
.PP
.I Mv
refuses to move a file onto itself.
.PP
Options:
.TP
.B \-i
stands for interactive mode. Whenever a move is to supercede an
existing file, the user is prompted by the name of the file
followed by a question mark. If he answers with a line starting
with 'y', the move continues. Any other reply prevents the move from
occurring.
.TP
.B \-f
stands for force. This option overrides any mode restrictions or the
\-i switch.
.TP
.B \-
means interpret all the following arguments to 
.I mv
as file names.  This allows file names starting with minus.
.SH "SEE ALSO"
cp(1), ln(1)
.SH BUGS
If
.I file1
and
.I file2
lie on different file systems,
.I mv
must copy the file and delete the original.
In this case the owner name becomes that of the copying process and any
linking relationship with other files is lost.
Commit	Line	Data
1c59be2d KM	1	.\" Copyright (c) 1980 Regents of the University of California.
	2	.\" All rights reserved. The Berkeley software License Agreement
	3	.\" specifies the terms and conditions for redistribution.
	4	.\"
2c30433e	5	.\" @(#)mv.1 6.1 (Berkeley) %G%
1c59be2d	6	.\"
2c30433e	7	.TH MV 1 ""
1c59be2d KM	8	.UC 4
	9	.SH NAME
	10	mv \- move or rename files
	11	.SH SYNOPSIS
	12	.B mv
	13	[
	14	.B \-i
	15	] [
	16	.B \-f
	17	] [
	18	.B \-
	19	] file1 file2
	20	.PP
	21	.B mv
	22	[
	23	.B \-i
	24	] [
	25	.B \-f
	26	] [
	27	.B \-
	28	] file ... directory
	29	.SH DESCRIPTION
	30	.I Mv
	31	moves (changes the name of)
	32	.I file1
	33	to
	34	.IR file2 .
	35	.PP
	36	If
	37	.I file2
4a56fc5a	38	already exists, it is removed before
1c59be2d	39	.I file1
4a56fc5a	40	is moved. If
1c59be2d KM	41	.I file2
	42	has a mode which forbids writing,
	43	.I mv
	44	prints the mode (see
	45	.IR chmod (2))
4a56fc5a	46	and reads the standard input to obtain a line; if the line begins with
1c59be2d	47	.B y,
4a56fc5a	48	the move takes place; if not,
1c59be2d KM	49	.I mv
	50	exits.
	51	.PP
4a56fc5a	52	In the second form, one or more
1c59be2d	53	.I files
4a56fc5a	54	(plain files or directories) are moved to the
1c59be2d	55	.I directory
4a56fc5a	56	with their original file-names.
1c59be2d KM	57	.PP
	58	.I Mv
	59	refuses to move a file onto itself.
	60	.PP
	61	Options:
	62	.TP
	63	.B \-i
	64	stands for interactive mode. Whenever a move is to supercede an
	65	existing file, the user is prompted by the name of the file
	66	followed by a question mark. If he answers with a line starting
	67	with 'y', the move continues. Any other reply prevents the move from
	68	occurring.
	69	.TP
	70	.B \-f
	71	stands for force. This option overrides any mode restrictions or the
	72	\-i switch.
	73	.TP
	74	.B \-
	75	means interpret all the following arguments to
	76	.I mv
	77	as file names. This allows file names starting with minus.
	78	.SH "SEE ALSO"
	79	cp(1), ln(1)
	80	.SH BUGS
	81	If
	82	.I file1
	83	and
	84	.I file2
	85	lie on different file systems,
	86	.I mv
	87	must copy the file and delete the original.
4a56fc5a KM	88	In this case the owner name becomes that of the copying process and any
4a56fc5a KM	89	linking relationship with other files is lost.