---
name: "mv"
section: "1"
platform: "openbsd"
package: "man"
version: "8.0-current-20261101"
release: "OpenBSD 8.0-current (2026-11-01)"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd", "openbsd", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/mv"
---

# mv(1)

move files

## NAME

**mv** – move files

## SYNOPSIS

**mv** \[**-fiv**\] *source* *target*

**mv** \[**-fiv**\] *source* *...* *directory*

## DESCRIPTION

In its first form, the **mv** utility moves the file named by the *source* operand to the destination path named by the *target* operand. This form is assumed when the last operand does not name an already existing directory.

In its second form, **mv** moves each file named by a *source* operand to the destination specified by the *directory* operand. It is an error if the *directory* does not exist. The destination path for each *source* operand is the pathname produced by the concatenation of the *directory* operand, a slash, and the final pathname component of the named file.

In both forms, a *source* operand is skipped with an error message when the respective destination path is a non-empty directory, or when the source is a non-directory file but the destination path is a directory, or vice versa.

The options are as follows:

- **-f**

  Do not prompt for confirmation before overwriting the destination path. The **-f** option overrides any previous **-i** options.

- **-i**

  Causes **mv** to write a prompt to standard error before moving a file that would overwrite an existing file. If the response from the standard input begins with the character “y”, the move is attempted. The **-i** option overrides any previous **-f** options.

- **-v**

  Display the source and destination after each move.

The **mv** utility moves symbolic links, not the files referenced by the links.

If the destination path does not have a mode which permits writing, **mv** prompts the user for confirmation as specified for the **-i** option.

Should the [rename(2)](/rename/2.md) call fail because the source and destination are on different file systems, **mv** will imitate [cp(1)](/cp/1.md) and [rm(1)](/rm/1.md) to accomplish the move. The effect is equivalent to:

```
$ rm -df -- destination_path && \
    cp -PRp -- source destination_path && \
    rm -rf -- source
```

## EXIT STATUS

The **mv** utility exits 0 on success, and \>0 if an error occurs.

## EXAMPLES

Rename file *foo* to *bar*, overwriting *bar* if it already exists:

```
$ mv -f foo bar
```

Either of these commands will rename the file *-f* to *bar*, prompting for confirmation if *bar* already exists:

```
$ mv -i -- -f bar
$ mv -i ./-f bar
```

## SEE ALSO

[cp(1)](/cp/1.md), [rm(1)](/rm/1.md), [rename(2)](/rename/2.md), [symlink(7)](/symlink/7.md)

## STANDARDS

The **mv** utility is compliant with the IEEE Std 1003.1-2008 (“POSIX.1”) specification.

The flag \[**-v**\] is an extension to that specification.

## HISTORY

A **mv** command appeared in Version 1 AT&T UNIX.

## CAVEATS

In the second synopsis form, incompatible file types in *source* and *directory* cause partial moves. For example, if *f* and *g* are non-directory files and *d* and *d/f* are directories, the command

```
$ mv f g d
```

will print an error message, leave *f* where it is, move *g* to *d/g* and return a non-zero exit status.