How do I rename a directory via the command line?

Question

I have got the directory /home/user/foo and I want to rename it to /home/user/bar. How can I do this in a terminal?

Answer 1

mv /home/user/foo /home/user/bar

Answer 2

mv can do two jobs.

1. It can move files or directories
2. It can rename files or directories

To just rename a file or directory type this in Terminal:

mv old_name new_name 

with space between the old and new names.

To move a file or directory type this in Terminal.

mv file_name ~/Desktop 

it will move the file to the desktop.

If is a directory you should add -R before the directory name:

mv -R directory_name ~/Desktop