The easy guide to Ubuntu 12.04's mass file renaming

Browsing the web, writing books, editing clips, downloading files, etc, tend to be part of our daily workflow, yet, along with their importance, usually generate a massive amount of files and folders, consequently, the user is faced with an unordered stack of items with clear minuses in speed (to locate a particular file), accuracy (being unable to identify a preferred item), decreased remembrance (when searching for a downloaded file, etc).

Obviously, removing the "chaos" is to be performed by bringing order, approach where renaming the targeted files and folders can play a "vital" role, action suitable for almost immediate ordering of items, thus properly categorizing one's items, from where to be easily accessed, remembered, identified, etc.

pyRenamer is a powerful files and folders renamer, that allows one to rename items via an intuitive interface with numerous options.
pyRenamer presents the user, when launched, two main area, first acting as a file browser (from where the about-to-be-renamed items are to be located) and a bottom area, filled with rename actions.
Items can be renamed using

• Patterns (basically, by adding a pattern into Renamed file name pattern, renames the displayed items with the typed pattern, meaning, by typing {num} will rename the about-to-be-renamed myfileabc, myfildef, myfileghi to 1, 2, 3); in order to observe (for later usage) pyRenamer's available pattern, hover the mouse pointer over the Renamed file name pattern area, action that will summon a dialog containing the mentioned patterns
• Substitutions (presenting the ability to replace, by checking Spaces, spaces between files&folders' letters with underscores, like for instance, transforming my file 123, my other file 123, my custom file 123 to my_file_123, my_other_file_123, my_custom_file_123, and/or replace characters with other characters by checking Replace, such as renaming screenshot 123, test xyz to 123creen123hot 123, te123t xyz after typing in Replace's box s with 123, and/or capitalize, by checking Capitalization (with support for All uppercase, All downcase, First letter uppercase, First letter uppercase of each word) and/or removing the accented characters
• Insert/Delete (definitely a hassle-free and fast way of inserting desired characters at user-specified positions, meaning typing 123 in Insert's box inserts 123 at the beginning of each file, behavior applyable for the default 1 value; modifying Insert's second box value, automatically modifies the place of "landing" for the typed about-to-be-inserted pattern, meaning, changing the value to 2, inserts the one's desired characters after the first letter of files and folders' names, such as, myfile1, myfile2 become m123file1, m123file2, if the Insert's first box is 123 and the second box is set to 2);renaming items by deleting the first x characters is to be performed by checking the Delete from x to y, where x represents the starting-to-be-removed character and y the end of the removed characters, like for instance, myfile123, myfile123qwe, become file123, file123qwe if the Delete from's first box is set to 1 and the second to 2
• Manual Rename features the ability to manually change specific items by clicking on them, action followed by manually typing the intended name
• Images allow one to utilize images' metadata in order to rename them according to the available metadata (if available), furthermore, the user is to use various combinations on for optimal results, especially when, in the same folder, there are images with metadata (generated by professional cameras) and without metadata, meaning, typing in Renamed file name pattern {imagewidth}x{imageheight}_{1}, tranform screenshot1 (no metadata), screenshot2 (no metadata), canontaken1 (with metadata), canontaken2 (with metadata) in x_screenshot1, x_screenshot2, 1829x1200_canontaken1, 2560x1600_canontaken2; the available to-be-used pattern are available by hovering the mouse pointer over Renamed file name pattern
• Music follows the above described functionality, useful to easily rename music files according to their metadata

While setting proper pattern to be used for renaming, the Preview button is to be used to display how the about-to-be-renamed items' names are to look, thus bringing an enhanced accuracy by removing the possibility of faulty renaming actions, accuracy "backed" by pyRenamer's undo and redo actions, accessible under pyRenamer-->Edit

pyRenamer is available via Ubuntu Software Center.


GPRename presents itself a handy utility, useful to easily rename items via a simplistic yet powerful interface, designed with "key" rename actions in mind.

Its main view exposes a large intuitive file browser, followed by its bottom area, where actions are to be located and used.

GPRename features renaming items by Case Change (with support for All UPPERCASE, all lowercase, Only the first letter, Only The First Letter And After), Insert/Delete (option to insert preferred characters at specific positions, delete characters between certain positions), Replace/Remove (option to replace characters with other characters), and Numerical (ability to add numbers at specific positions and increment them by x value, insert before and after, etc).

GPRename comes with handy preview support, as well as undo and fullscreen mode.

GPRename is available via Ubuntu Software Center.


AutoRenamer is, as its name clearly says, an auto renamer, yet taking a different approach when renaming files, in the sense of presenting a simplistic interface and basic renaming actions.

Basically, AutoRenamer, when launched, exposes a file browser with properly displayed items, approach that allows one to easily navigate to a specific folder.

The actual renaming is performed by reordering items via drag&drop then clicking the Save button, actions that summons a dialog exposing the new naming, based on the drag&drop reordering and containing numbers at the beginning of file names, such as 00, 01, 02 (being the only available renaming "type"), etc.

AutoRenamer acts as a handy lightweight renamer, designed with numbers-in-front rename actions, suitable for users searching a user-friendly familiar (similar to Nautilus') interface where simplistic yet effective renamings are required.

AutoRenamer is available via Ubuntu Software Center.