ncurses-based batch filename editor

Question

Is there a command-line program similar to nano or xtree in looks (i.e., ncurses-based) that will show me all the files in a directory, that will let me work through them all making the changes needed and then applying them?

Answer 1

The application you are after is the slightly 'retro' looking application Midnight Commander, which will do what you are looking for and much more with a slightly 'nano' looking interface.

As a quick demonstration I add a screenshot here that demonstrates the movement of three files (selected with the '+' key) being moved to a sub-directory (using a menu accessed with the F6 key):

Midnight Commander takes a little work until you come fully to grips with it but an excellent starting guide can be seen here... From this same page comes the following summary of Midnight Commander's capabilities:

• Performs all the common file and directory manipulations such as copying, moving, renaming, linking, and deleting.
• Allows manipulation of file and directory permissions.
• Can treat remote systems (via FTP or SSH) as though they were local directories.
• Can treat archive files (like .tar and .zip) as though they were local directories.
• Allows creation of a user-defined "hotlist" of frequently used directories.
• Can search for files based on file name or file contents, and treat the search results like a directory.

Makes me think that I should be spending more time with this great application :).

References:

• LinuxCommand.org: Midnight Commander A great introductory page on the usage of Midnight Commander.