Convert embedded spaces in filenames to "_" (underscore)

ls -1 | grep " " | awk '{printf("mv \"%s\" ",$0); gsub(/ /,"_",$0); printf("%s\n",$0)}' | sh # rename filenames: spaces to "_"
This command converts filenames with embedded spaces in the current directory replacing spaces with the underscore ("_") character.
Sample Output 
$ # before
$ ls -1
big world keeps turning
bye bye
fred
hello world
$ ls -1 | grep " " | awk '{printf("mv \"%s\" ",$0); gsub(/ /,"_",$0); printf("%s\n",$0)}' | sh # rename filenames: spaces to "_"
$ # after
$ ls -1
big_world_keeps_turning
bye_bye
fred
hello_world

2
By: mpb
2009-03-15 18:42:43
awk grep ls rename sh
11
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What Others Think

this also does the trick: ls|while read f;do mv "$f" "${f// /_}";done
elzapp · 873 weeks and 4 days ago
Or... for i in *\ *; do mv "$i" $(echo -n "$i" | sed 's/ /_/g'); done Nice variable substition, elzapp!
flatcap · 873 weeks and 4 days ago
Try this: rename 'y/ /_/' *
goodevilgenius · 873 weeks and 4 days ago
@goodevilgenius Who'd've thunk it
elzapp · 873 weeks and 4 days ago
goodevilgenuius' good suggestion invokes the prename perl script provided by the 'perl' package, at least under Ubuntu/Debian. On my ubuntu system, the rename command is symlinked to prename, and the original, non-perl rename command, which is still useful, is known as rename.ul See $man prename, $less `which prename` and $man rename.ul for more. :-)
bwoodacre · 873 weeks and 4 days ago
Thanks for the comments. It's a great way to learn fu. # before ls -1 big world keeps turning bye bye fred hello world ls|while read f;do mv "$f" "${f// /_}";done mv: `fred' and `fred' are the same file # after ls -1 big_world_keeps_turning bye_bye fred hello_world I think we need a ' | grep " " ' in there.
mpb · 873 weeks and 4 days ago
@mbp no need for a grep, just replace the "ls" with ls "* *" ls "* *"|while read f;do mv "$f" "${f// /_}";done
elzapp · 873 weeks and 4 days ago
d'oh mpb even...
elzapp · 873 weeks and 4 days ago
@elzapp I admire your intention (to reduce the command line length) but it does not work for me: ls -1 big world keeps turning bye bye felicity hello two spaces embedded ls "* *" ls: cannot access * *: No such file or directory This works (for me): ls | grep " " | while read f;do mv "$f" "${f// /_}";done # after ls -1 big_world_keeps_turning bye_bye felicity hello two__spaces__embedded
mpb · 873 weeks and 4 days ago
flatcap's version seems the most straightforward to me, and it's the only one that works on my system (Cygwin)
Ben · 873 weeks and 3 days ago
ls|awk '/ /{c=$1; for (i=2;i<=NF;i++) c=c "_" $i; system("mv \"" $0 "\" \"" c "\"")}'
point_to_null · 872 weeks and 6 days ago

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