How to use the command convmv (with examples)

The convmv command is used to convert filenames from one encoding to another without changing the file content. This can be particularly useful when working with file systems or applications that require a specific character encoding.

Use case 1: Test filename encoding conversion (don’t actually change the filename)

Code:

convmv -f from_encoding -t to_encoding input_file

Motivation:

The motivation for using this use case is to check if the conversion of filenames from one encoding to another is working correctly without actually modifying any files. This allows you to verify that the conversion is successful and that the new filenames will be displayed correctly in the new encoding.

Explanation:

• -f from_encoding: Specifies the encoding of the input filenames.
• -t to_encoding: Specifies the desired encoding for the output filenames.
• input_file: The filename that needs to be tested for encoding conversion.

Example Output:

Suppose we have a file named “example_ä.txt” encoded in ISO-8859-1 and we want to test converting it to UTF-8. The command would be:

convmv -f ISO-8859-1 -t UTF-8 example_ä.txt

The output will display the filename in the new encoding, but the file itself won’t be modified. In this case, the output would be:

"example_ä.txt" is now encoded as UTF-8 (not written)

Use case 2: Convert filename encoding and rename the file to the new encoding

Code:

convmv -f from_encoding -t to_encoding --notest input_file

Motivation:

The motivation for using this use case is to convert filenames from one encoding to another and also rename the file to the new encoding. This is useful when you want to permanently change the filenames to a specific encoding and ensure that the new filenames are displayed correctly.

Explanation:

• -f from_encoding: Specifies the encoding of the input filenames.
• -t to_encoding: Specifies the desired encoding for the output filenames.
• --notest: Instructs the command to proceed with the conversion without testing.
• input_file: The filename that needs to be converted and renamed.

Example Output:

Suppose we have a file named “example_ä.txt” encoded in ISO-8859-1 and we want to convert it to UTF-8 and rename it to “example_new_ä.txt”. The command would be:

convmv -f ISO-8859-1 -t UTF-8 --notest example_ä.txt -r

The output will display the conversion progress and the final status. In this case, the output would be:

have a look at 'example_ä.txt'..
ready to rename 'example_ä.txt' to 'example_new_ä.txt'...
keeping file: 'example_ä.txt' as 'example_new_ä.txt'

Conclusion:

The convmv command is a handy tool for converting filenames from one encoding to another without altering the file content. It provides different use cases to either test the conversion without modifying the filenames or convert and rename the filenames permanently. By using this command, you can ensure that your filenames are displayed correctly in the desired encoding.