gvfs-move

gvfs-move [OPTION...] SOURCE... TARGET

-b, --backup[=SUFFIX]
    Make backup of each existing destination file (add SUFFIX if overwriting)

--help
    Display help and exit

-i, --interactive
    Prompt before overwrite

-n, --no-clobber
    Do not overwrite existing files

-P, --preserve
    Preserve file attributes (timestamps, ownership, mode)

-T, --target-is-directory
    Treat TARGET as directory (allows multiple sources)

-u, --update
    Skip files newer on destination

--version
    Output version information and exit

The gvfs-move command is a utility from the GVFS (GNOME Virtual File System) package that enables moving files and directories between locations using flexible URI schemes. Unlike traditional mv(1), which is restricted to local filesystems, gvfs-move supports virtual and remote filesystems such as SMB shares (smb://), FTP (ftp://), WebDAV, Google Drive via gnome-online-accounts, and special URIs like trash:/// for trashing files.

It operates through the gio library and GVFS daemon (gvfsd), providing seamless integration in GNOME environments. Multiple sources can be moved to a single target directory. Operations across filesystems involve a copy-then-delete sequence, preserving data integrity.

Key benefits include credential handling via GNOME Keyring, progress reporting for large transfers, and options for safe overwriting. Ideal for desktop users managing files across networks without manual mounts. For local-only use, standard mv may be faster.

Requires GVFS daemon running for URIs; remote moves may prompt for credentials and fail on network issues. Cross-FS moves copy then delete, risking partial failure if delete step fails.

Local: file:///path; Remote: smb://host/share, ftp://user@host/path; Special: trash:///, recent:///. Omit file:// for local paths.

gvfs-move ~/doc.txt trash:/// (trash file)
gvfs-move -P ~/files/* smb://server/backup/ (preserve attrs, multi-source)
gvfs-move -i localfile ftp://user@host/dir/ (interactive remote)

Introduced in GVFS 0.1 (2008) with GNOME 2.24 to unify file ops across backends; evolved with GNOME 3+ for online accounts integration.

mv(1), cp(1), gio(1), gvfs-copy(1), gvfs-trash(1)