How to copy/move files and skip...

Skillz · 07-05-2009, 08:10 PM

How can I copy (would rather just move) files from one directory to another and NOT have it prompt me if I want to over write. I want the answer to always be no, so skip all files that already exist and only move those that do not.

I've tried the command

mv -u files destination

However, it STILL asks me if I want to overwrite the files or not. With 1000+ files that I move, I do not want to have to wait and answer "no" to over 90% of them.

However, I can't just overwrite the existing files.

The BEST way I would like to do this would be to;

if file exists in destination, delete source
if file doesn't exist in destination, move to destination

david1941 · 07-05-2009, 08:16 PM

Check out the yes command. It just pipes a series of strings (the same one). Use it like this: yes no | mv files destination

Skillz · 07-05-2009, 08:19 PM

yes no | mv files destination

will answer "no" to all the questions it ask?

custangro · 07-05-2009, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skillz

How can I copy (would rather just move) files from one directory to another and NOT have it prompt me if I want to over write. I want the answer to always be no, so skip all files that already exist and only move those that do not.

I've tried the command

mv -u files destination

However, it STILL asks me if I want to overwrite the files or not. With 1000+ files that I move, I do not want to have to wait and answer "no" to over 90% of them.

However, I can't just overwrite the existing files.

The BEST way I would like to do this would be to;

if file exists in destination, delete source
if file doesn't exist in destination, move to destination

You can use "rsync" to do this...It will only copy the files that don't exist on the destination...something like this...

Code:

root@host# rsync -av /path/to/source/ /path/to/destination/

OR you can do it via a script...you have to test to see if the file exists and only move if it dosen't...something like...

Code:

#!/bin/bash 
#
for file in $(ls -1 /path/to/source/)
do
  if [ ! -f /path/to/destination/${file} ] ; then
    mv /path/to/source/${file} /path/to/destination/      
  fi
done

But your results may vary depending what you want to do...

-C

david1941 · 07-05-2009, 08:26 PM

Yes. and that's all it does. The mv command will always get a no answer to a stdin request.

Skillz · 07-05-2009, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by custangro

Code:

#!/bin/bash 
#
for file in $(ls -1 /path/to/source/)
do
  if [ ! -f /path/to/destination/${file} ] ; then
    mv /path/to/source/${file} /path/to/destination/      
  fi
else
  rm -Rf /path/to/source/${file}
done

-C

Would that work?

custangro · 07-05-2009, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skillz

Would that work?

Well the fact that you "moved" the file means that /path/to/source/${file} no longer exists...which means that you don't need to to rm it

FYI...the else needs to come before the fi

-C

Skillz · 07-05-2009, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by custangro

Well the fact that you "moved" the file means that /path/to/source/${file} no longer exists...which means that you don't need to to rm it

FYI...the else needs to come before the fi

-C

Well what I mean is, if the file does already exist...what happens to the source?

I added that so that it would delete the file if it does exist on the destination.

custangro · 07-05-2009, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skillz

Well what I mean is, if the file does already exist...what happens to the source?

I added that so that it would delete the file if it does exist on the destination.

Then it would look something like this...

Code:

#!/bin/bash 
#
for file in $(ls -1 /path/to/source/)
do
  if [ ! -f /path/to/destination/${file} ] ; then
    mv /path/to/source/${file} /path/to/destination/
  fi   
  rm -Rf /path/to/source/${file}   
done

FYI, that's a number one in the ls command...NOT an l

-C

Skillz · 07-05-2009, 08:59 PM

Ah ok, thanks I will try that out!!

I used the yes command just now, then just deleted the files when it was done. once more get uploaded, I'll test out the script.

Skillz · 07-05-2009, 09:05 PM

I just thought of something.

I know it's bad, very bad. However, I have to run this script as root. Therefore when it moves the files, it gives the ownership to root instead of the user that should own it.

Reason why this is, is because there are two different users that I am moving files between and can't get the groups to work because it messes up cPanel.

So how would I tell it to then chown user:user the files it moves?

david1941 · 07-05-2009, 09:21 PM

mv preserves the original gid and uid. Moving as root should NOT upset them.

Skillz · 07-05-2009, 09:26 PM

Ah ok I was thinking of the cp command, that actually makes root own the file it copied.

custangro · 07-05-2009, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skillz

I just thought of something.

I know it's bad, very bad. However, I have to run this script as root. Therefore when it moves the files, it gives the ownership to root instead of the user that should own it.

Reason why this is, is because there are two different users that I am moving files between and can't get the groups to work because it messes up cPanel.

So how would I tell it to then chown user:user the files it moves?

That gets a little tricky...You would have to do somthing like this...

Code:

#!/bin/bash
#
ls -l /path/to/source/ | awk '{print $3, $4, $NF}' | while read user group file
do
  if [ ! -f /path/to/destination/${file} ] ; then
    mv /path/to/source/${file} /path/to/destination/
    chown ${user}:${group} /path/to/destination/${file}
  fi   
  rm -Rf /path/to/source/${file}
done

Skillz · 09-27-2009, 07:42 PM

I tried the above script, but it deletes the directory.