how to tell bash to move files to another folder?

hq4ever · 02-11-2005, 03:48 AM

I get my files using find . -mmin -120 but now how can I tell mv to move them to another place ?

sh4n · 02-11-2005, 04:10 AM

Does cp work?

cp /folder/fileorigin /folder/destination

hamish · 02-11-2005, 04:10 AM

try

$mv $(find . -mmin -120) /foo/bar

i'm not sure, I didn't try that.

hamish

slakmagik · 02-11-2005, 04:12 AM

append

-exec mv {} target \;

to the command.

Wim Sturkenboom · 02-11-2005, 04:24 AM

Add an exec to your find; example:

Code:

find . -name "*.txt" -exec cp {} /mydir \;

This example copies all text-files that have been found to the directory /mydir.
You will probably use mv instead of cp, but the principle is the same.
Please note that if /mydir is part of the searchpath of find, you will get error messages (or warnings) from cp (and probably mv) that source and destination are the same file.

The curly braces indicate to exec to use the result of the find operation.

hq4ever · 02-11-2005, 05:06 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Wim Sturkenboom

The curly braces indicate to exec to use the result of the find operation.

Could you please explain this a bit more, it's not the first time that I see this way of bash scripting and it's quite confusing because I haven't seen in no manual what so ever.

Thank you.

slakmagik · 02-11-2005, 05:09 AM

man find (/-exec)

Code:

       -exec command ;
              Execute command; true if 0 status is returned.  All
              following arguments to find are taken to  be  argu_
              ments  to  the command until an argument consisting
              of `;' is encountered.  The string `{}' is replaced
              by the current file name being processed everywhere
              it occurs in the arguments to the command, not just
              in arguments where it is alone, as in some versions
              of find.  Both of these constructions might need to
              be  escaped  (with a `\') or quoted to protect them
              from expansion by the shell.  The command  is  exe_
              cuted in the starting directory.

hq4ever · 02-11-2005, 05:29 AM

Yes, oops would be quite appropriate here.
Thank you.

This is what is did at the end:

Code:

find .  ! -path './pathname'  -maxdepth 1 -mmin -360 -exec mv {} ../newname/ \;

brablc · 12-29-2010, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hq4ever

Yes, oops would be quite appropriate here.
Thank you.

This is what is did at the end:

Code:

find .  ! -path './pathname'  -maxdepth 1 -mmin -360 -exec mv {} ../newname/ \;

I have found this topic on Google when searching for "bash move folder contents only" and I think I have a better solution, which saves CPU a lot, maybe Google will take someone here again in the future:

Code:

# not working version with too many files - this gives "/bin/mv: Argument list too long" 
mv source/* target/
# too slow version with find and too many child processes
find source/ -exec mv {} target/ \;
# CPU nicer version - find your own limit instead of 1000
find source/ | xargs -L1000 mv -t target/

hq4ever · 12-29-2010, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brablc

I have found this topic on Google when searching for "bash move folder contents only" and I think I have a better solution, which saves CPU a lot, maybe Google will take someone here again in the future:

Code:

# not working version with too many files - this gives "/bin/mv: Argument list too long" 
mv source/* target/
# too slow version with find and too many child processes
find source/ -exec mv {} target/ \;
# CPU nicer version - find your own limit instead of 1000
find source/ | xargs -L1000 mv -t target/

Lot's of water have flowed in the river since this question was posted.

The optimal solution, based on your example would be

Code:

find source/ -exec mv '{}' target +

The plus sign causes find to use the maximum parameter limit allows on each mv invocation.

on a side note, I've learned it from a question / answer I've posted on SO, see http://serverfault.com/questions/688...ps/68898#68898

brablc · 12-30-2010, 03:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hq4ever

Lot's of water have flowed in the river since this question was posted.
...
The plus sign causes find to use the maximum parameter limit allows on each mv invocation.
...

Thanks for sharing this tip. My CentOS supports it. This makes find much better tool.