Q: command line help

Question

GBUK007

Level 1 (9 points)

Mac OS X

Q: command line help

I have a a folder called ebooks and in that folder are a a few thousand folders each containing ebooks of different formats.

How can I use ls on the command line to list JUST the files with the mobi extension ? in all of those folders.

Many thanks

iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2012), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.4)

Posted on Jul 23, 2013 5:59 AM

I have this question too

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rkaufmann87

Level 9 (58,924 points)

Photos for Mac

A:

Google is your friend. For example here is one article that will give some hints.

Batch-rename files using Automator in OS X | MacFixIt - CNET Reviews

Also use Apple's

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2488

Posted on Jul 23, 2013 6:22 AM

Q: command line help

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by Matt Clifton,

Matt Clifton Jul 23, 2013 6:14 AM in response to GBUK007
Level 7 (29,905 points)

Jul 23, 2013 6:14 AM in response to GBUK007

Personally, I'd use "find" rather than "ls", to give me the folder name first. For example:

find ~myuser/ebooks -name "*.mobi" > results.txt

Matt
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by rkaufmann87,

rkaufmann87 Jul 23, 2013 6:15 AM in response to GBUK007
Level 9 (58,924 points)

Photos for Mac

Jul 23, 2013 6:15 AM in response to GBUK007

Sounds like a job for Automator or you can use Finder to do the same. If I understand correctly you don't need to use Terminal.
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by GBUK007,

GBUK007 Jul 23, 2013 6:18 AM in response to Matt Clifton
Level 1 (9 points)

Mac OS X

Jul 23, 2013 6:18 AM in response to Matt Clifton

where would i find the results.txt file ?
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by GBUK007,

GBUK007 Jul 23, 2013 6:18 AM in response to rkaufmann87
Level 1 (9 points)

Mac OS X

Jul 23, 2013 6:18 AM in response to rkaufmann87

Could you explain how i would use automator to do this ?
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by Matt Clifton,

Matt Clifton Jul 23, 2013 6:20 AM in response to GBUK007
Level 7 (29,905 points)

Jul 23, 2013 6:20 AM in response to GBUK007

It'll be created wherever you are when you type the command. Usually, Terminal drops you into your home folder, so unless you cd into a different directory, that's where results.txt will be created.

Matt
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by GBUK007,

GBUK007 Jul 23, 2013 6:23 AM in response to Matt Clifton
Level 1 (9 points)

Mac OS X

Jul 23, 2013 6:23 AM in response to Matt Clifton

I have just tried this and I just get a blank results.txt file. Will that command search through all the folders that are *inside* the ebooks folder ?
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by GBUK007,

GBUK007 Jul 23, 2013 6:44 AM in response to rkaufmann87
Level 1 (9 points)

Mac OS X

Jul 23, 2013 6:44 AM in response to rkaufmann87

Many thanks I have used automator and it has found them all

Brilliant, Ive never used it before and was a bit aprehensive but worked great.
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by GBUK007,

GBUK007 Jul 23, 2013 6:47 AM in response to GBUK007
Level 1 (9 points)

Mac OS X

Jul 23, 2013 6:47 AM in response to GBUK007

Id like to move all these mobi files into a seperate folder now, is this possible with automator or is the command line better ?
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by rkaufmann87,

rkaufmann87 Jul 23, 2013 7:16 AM in response to GBUK007
Level 9 (58,924 points)

Photos for Mac

Jul 23, 2013 7:16 AM in response to GBUK007

Your welcome and yes Automator could do that.
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Accepted Answer · Jul 23, 2013 6:22 AM

rkaufmann87

Level 9 (58,924 points)

Photos for Mac

Jul 23, 2013 6:22 AM in response to Matt Clifton

Google is your friend. For example here is one article that will give some hints.

Batch-rename files using Automator in OS X | MacFixIt - CNET Reviews

Also use Apple's

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2488

Q: command line help

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by Matt Clifton,

by rkaufmann87,

by GBUK007,

by GBUK007,

by Matt Clifton,

by rkaufmann87,Solvedanswer

by GBUK007,

by GBUK007,

by GBUK007,

by rkaufmann87,

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