How to Change a File Extension in Linux

Changing a file extension in Linux involves the 'mv' command.

Changing the extension of a file from the Linux command line involves the same command as changing the filename itself: the "mv" (move) command. Essentially, you are "moving" the original file into a new file with a different extension. If you make a mistake when re-assigning a file extension, you can use the "mv" command to change it back.

Instructions

1. Open your preferred command line utility, like Terminal (Mac OS X) or the command line prompt (Windows).

2. Connect to your server:

   ssh yourdomain.com

   Replace yourdomain.com with your specific domain name or IP address.

3. Change to the directory where the file you want to modify is located:

   cd /path/to/folder

   Replace /path/to/folder with the specific path to your folder, i.e. /var/public_html/yourdomain.com/public

4. Type the following command:

   mv filename.oldextension filename.newextension

   For example, if you want to change "index.html" to "index.php" you would type the following command:

   mv index.html index.php

References

• Computer Hope: Linux mv Command