Using xargs with mv and mkdir command in Linux

Question

I am attempting to create a directory using the command mkdir. However, I would like to move a subset of files into that directory. I understand I can use xargs, however my attempts have failed. For example, I have tried mkdir test | xargs -i mv test.text {}. It creates the directory, but it does not move the file test.txt into it after it has been created.

Solution 1

mkdir does not output anything, therefore xargs will not do anything useful. I don't understand exactly what you want to do, so you should explain your question better.

"would like to move a subset of files into that directory" -> do files in this subset share one or more traits? If yes, use the find command like this:

find [conditions] -exec mv "{}" dirname \;

If you want to avoid typing the name of the directory twice, or if you are doing this from a script, you can do something like

dirname=test
mkdir $dirname && mv filename $dirname

Solution 2

My guess, close to user49740's answer:

mkdir test && find -type f -name 'test.*' -exec mv {} test \;

how many diferent directories do you want to create?

Solution 3

I don't think mkdir produces any output to pipe to xargs.

Doing "mkdir test1 test2 testhello3 | grep hello" doesn't produce any output while doing "ls | grep hello" will show me "testhello3".

Can you produce the folders first and then use ls then grep and then xargs to do it?

ls | grep (unique search to get folder name) | xargs -i mv test.txt {}

Maybe more information on criteria of moving files and such would be helpful.

Comments

[PeanutsMonkey]

@user49740- Thanks. I wasn't aware that mkdir wasn't producing any output. I thought it did as it displays them in standard output i.e. the monitor. The files don't share a specific trait. I am simply attempting to create a directory and then to move files that I need to have moved into the newly created directory.

[PeanutsMonkey]

Sorry am new to the world of find commands in the terminal but what does `` do at the end of the command?

[PeanutsMonkey]

There is a specific criteria to move the files. It is simply to create a directory and then to move specific files to that directory.

[Rob]

If you meant the backslash, it stops the semicolon from being interpreted by the shell.

[richardhsu]

Well I mean if you're making it at the moment and then moving files then you can just do "mkdir foldername && mv file.txt file2.txt file3.txt foldername/." Since you know the foldername and files.

[ott--]

@PeanutsMonkey Of if you mean 'test.*', the '' prevent the shell from expanding the * and leave it as it is for find.