58

I'm trying to rename a file with a hyphen at the beginning of its name and both this:

mv -example-file-name example-file-name

and this:

mv '-example-file-name' example-file-name

result in:

mv: invalid option -- 'e'
Desmond Hume
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    Either use the relative path of the file (./tmp/-example), the full path (/home/a/tmp/-example) or tell mv that you're done giving options with -- and that what follows are file names. – Ярослав Рахматуллин Nov 25 '12 at 15:30
  • In case anyone wonders: `mv *example-file-name example-file-name` has the same problem, because filename expansion (AKA globbing) happens before `mv` is called. – Walter Tross Feb 10 '17 at 13:36
  • [How to remove a file with name starting with “-r” using cli](https://superuser.com/q/689825/241386), [Unix: Files starting with a dash, -](https://superuser.com/q/120078/241386), [How to open files with forward dash in linux](https://superuser.com/q/603792/241386), [How to create a file which is named like a command line argument?](https://superuser.com/q/600066/241386), [Recursively rename all files whose name starts with a dash](https://askubuntu.com/q/882773/253474) – phuclv Aug 20 '18 at 05:38

4 Answers4

92

Most GNU/Linux commands allow a -- option to indicate end of options so that subsequent - prefixed words are not treated as options.

  mv -- -example-file-name example-file-name

A small test

$ touch -- -example
$ ls -l -- *ample
-rw-r--r-- 1 rgb rgb 0 Nov 25 09:57 -example
$ mv -- -example example
$
RedGrittyBrick
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23

RedGrittyBrick's answer is very good. Another option is:

mv ./-example-file-name example-file-name

A small test:

$ touch ./-example
$ ls -l ./*ample
-rw-r--r-- 1 me me 0 Nov 25 16:02 ./-example
$ mv ./-example example
$ ls -l ./*ample
-rw-r--r-- 1 me me 0 Nov 25 16:02 ./example
gniourf_gniourf
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1

This trick works for me in times of desperation. YMMV

rename \- '' *

You have to escape the hyphen for rename to recognize it. Why rename doesn't respect single quotes or offer an override of some kind is beyond me.

This is the only method I've seen that reliably handles a leading hyphen using rename. I agree with the other posts on using mv, but if you can't use mv for any reason, this works.

Alex Z
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0

You can use this:

rename -- "s/\-//g" *

that it can rename all file :) if your file name :

-ng--sh-ay-01[------------]-FLV

after run code, your file name become:

ngshay01[]FLV
k-five
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    The other approaches (the one by RedGrittyBrick, and gniourf_gniourf) are more likely to work with several other commands. – TOOGAM Dec 17 '15 at 21:57