How to copy a file with filename "+" and rename it?

Question

I have a file named +13x18_DSC_0800.JPG on a linux server (Please don't ask me how it got there as I have no idea how it got there). I wish to rename it to 13x18_DSC_0800.JPG. However I have not been able to. When I try to copy it I get ;

# cp \+13x18_DSC_0800.JPG asd.JPG
  cp: cannot stat `+13x18_DSC_0800.JPG': No such file or directory

Here is some more inforamtion ;

#ll
 -rwxrwxrwx  1 ftpuser renko 2798985 2011-10-14 01:12  +13x18_DSC_0800.JPG*

I really don't know what is wrong other than that the plus sign is killing some script. Some more information ;

#uname -a
Linux server-1 2.6.38-8-server #42-Ubuntu SMP Mon Apr 11 03:49:04 UTC 2011 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Any help would be awesome...

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Dec 05 '11 at 10:31

3

Often this means there are some non-printing characters in the filename, which you can't see because they're non-printing.

Try ls -la > /tmp/foo then vi -b /tmp/foo to look at all the text.

If that's the case, the easiest way is to handle it via glob, try echo *13x18_DSC_0800* to verify that the glob matches that file (and only that file), then you can do mv *13x18_DSC_0800* newname.jpeg to rename it.

answered Dec 05 '11 at 10:31

MadHatter

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Or `ls -la | cat -vT` – Janne Pikkarainen Dec 05 '11 at 10:33
@MadHatter I got a "-rwxrwxrwx 1 ftpuser renko 2798985 2011-10-14 01:12 +13x18_DSC_0800.JPG -rwxrwxrwx 1 ftpuser renko 2567144 2011-10-14 01:12 +13x18_DSC_0848.JPG " – JohnRoach Dec 05 '11 at 10:40
@MadHatter Although I haven't been able to resolve this issue without using the joker card i.e. "*". Here is the solution I have been able to find ; #cp *DSC_0800* 13x18_DSC_0800.JPG #rm *+* This seems to do the trick... I still wonder why I couldn't do it without using the * .... Since you reminded me of the * you get the bonus! – JohnRoach Dec 05 '11 at 10:49

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Dec 05 '11 at 10:31

1

Use

cp "+13x18_DSC_0800.JPG" 13x18_DSC_0800.JPG

answered Dec 05 '11 at 10:31

Janne Pikkarainen

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Sorry but no cigar you get a : "cp: cannot stat `+13x18_DSC_0800.JPG': No such file or directory" error – JohnRoach Dec 05 '11 at 10:35

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Jan 31 '20 at 12:56

0

The accepted answer uses globbing and so requires checking only one file matches. If we prepend a path the reference is unique.

touch +plus.file
touch -minus.file
mv ./+plus.file plus.file
mv ./-minus.file minus.file

answered Jan 31 '20 at 12:56

flowtron

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Fox · Answer 4 · 2011-12-05T10:44:56.297

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stupid and simple solution if you want to get rid of just one file - use midnight commander :D

but + sign at the beginning shouldn't be a problem at all ...

    $ touch +13x18_DSC_0800.JPG
    $ mv +13x18_DSC_0800.JPG test.jpg
    $ rm test.jpg

works for me ...

edited Dec 05 '11 at 10:44

answered Dec 05 '11 at 10:34

Fox

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[edited] actually it did not work... the test.jpg turned out to be a 0 byte file... – JohnRoach Dec 05 '11 at 10:36
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touch does create an empty file with that name if it does not exist. i was presenting this as an example of it working. – Fox Dec 05 '11 at 10:42

score 0 · Answer 5 · answered Dec 05 '11 at 10:55

0

For me

    cp +13x18_DSC_0800.JPG 13x18_DSC_0800.JPG

worked like charm, without any escaping.

answered Dec 05 '11 at 10:55

Stone

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How to copy a file with filename "+" and rename it?

5 Answers5