How do I find all files containing specific text and rename in unix linux

Question

I need to find all the files which contain a specific word like 'time' in a particular path and rename the file like "filename_time"

Answer 1

You can write a bash script to do this. Open a terminal, and create a bash file (a file with .sh extension).

$ gedit change.sh

Then add the following lines in the file

rename 's/time/filename_time' *

Save and exit the file.

Change permission of the file:

$ chmod 777 change.sh

Then execute the file:

$ ./change.sh

Filename should be changed.

Answer 2

Hi, @Kal

You can use this command below to find out the particular/specific text from all the files:

$ grep "search_string" /path/to/dir

Then you can use this command below to rename that specific text in all the files:

$ grep -rl old string - / xargs sed -i -e 's/old string/new string/'

Try this, it should work. Just let me know if it works. 

Comments

Hi Gltka.. I am  trying to identify all files that contain a word like 'one' in all files of a directory  and  rename the filename appending with 'one'.

Example  directory path roor/k 

files t.txt ,t1.txt , t2.txt

cat t.txt out put qqqq,onexxxx ;cat t1.txt out put qqqq,one yyyy ;cat t3.txt out put qqqq,two xxxx

expected out put t_one.txt t1_one.txt

I am able to use below command and move the files but need help in renaming them.

grep -lir 'one' /root/k/' 'root/d/'

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Hi @Kal, 

Did you check the different mentioned suggestion which is suggested above?