How to Move Files in Ubuntu

Written by Nicole Levine, MFA

Last Updated: February 15, 2021 Tested

This wikiHow teaches you how to move files and folders on Ubuntu. The easiest way to move file and folders is to use GNOME Files (formerly known as Nautilus), Ubuntu's default file manager, but you can also use simple Linux commands at the command prompt.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using the File Manager

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It's the white folder icon on your application dock, which is usually on the left side of the screen. This displays the files and folders on your computer.^{[1]
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The folders are organized in a straight-forward way—there's a Downloads folder where your downloads are saved by default, a folder for your Photos, etc.

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3
Click the file or folder you want to move. Clicking the file or folder once will select it rather than opening it.
- You can also move a file or folder by simply clicking and dragging it to a new location.
4
Press Ctrl+X to "cut" the file. If you want to completely move the file to another location rather than copy it, this key combination is the one you'll want.
- If you want to copy the file so a version still remains in the original folder, use Ctrl + C instead.
You can move the file to any folder as long as it isn't a read-only system folder.
This pastes the file or folder (whether you cut or copied it) to its new location.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using Linux Commands

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This opens a terminal window to the command prompt.
2
Learn the syntax of the mv command. You'll be using the Linux mv command to move a file or folder from one directory to another. The command is used like this: mv source destination. The "source" is the file or folder you're moving, and "destination" is the place you're moving it to.
- If you place a -i after the mv command, you'll be prompted if moving the file to the new location will overwrite another file in the destination directory. For specific flags and instructions on the mv command, type man mv at the prompt and press Enter to view its manual page.
- If you want to copy the file instead of moving it, you'll use cp source destination instead. This will leave the original version of the file in place.
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Type mv -i filename newlocation and press ↵ Enter. If the directory you're moving the file to is not a subfolder of your current directory, be sure to include the full path.
- For example, if you're moving a folder called photos from your home directory to a folder called /home/family, enter mv -i photos /home/family.
- If a file or folder with the same name exists, you'll be prompted to enter Y to confirm or N to cancel. Enter your selection and press Enter when prompted.