gvfs-move

gvfs-move [OPTION...] SOURCE... DESTINATION
gvfs-move [OPTION...] SOURCE... DIRECTORY

-h, --help
    Show a help message and exit.

--version
    Show the version information and exit.

gvfs-move is a command-line utility provided by the GNOME Virtual File System (GVFS) framework. It allows users to move files and directories, particularly when dealing with URIs (Uniform Resource Identifiers) that represent remote or virtual file systems (e.g., sftp://, smb://, dav://).

Unlike the traditional mv command, gvfs-move leverages GVFS's capabilities to handle these non-local paths seamlessly, providing a consistent interface for file operations across various backends. It's often used by desktop environments or scripts that need to interact with diverse network locations or special GVFS mounts.

gvfs-move operates on GVFS URIs and paths, not solely traditional local file paths. While it can move local files, its primary strength lies in handling remote or virtual locations.

It may not offer the same granular control (e.g., specific overwrite prompts, force options) as the standard mv(1) command, relying on GVFS's default behavior for conflict resolution.

Reliability for remote operations depends on the underlying network connection and the stability of the GVFS backend for the specific protocol being used. Errors during remote operations might be less verbose than those from lower-level network tools.

GVFS commands operate on URIs (Uniform Resource Identifiers) which can represent various locations, including local paths (file:///path/to/file), remote connections (sftp://user@host/path), webDAV servers (dav://server/path), and more. Understanding the correct URI format for your target is crucial for successful operations.

While a command-line tool, gvfs-move underpins much of the file movement functionality within GNOME's graphical file manager (Nautilus/Files) when dealing with remote or special locations. It ensures that file operations are handled consistently regardless of the underlying protocol.

GVFS (GNOME Virtual File System) was introduced around GNOME 2.22 (2008) as a replacement for the older GNOME-VFS system. It was designed to provide a more robust, extensible, and asynchronous framework for file system abstraction, building upon the GIO library.

The gvfs-move command, along with other gvfs-* utilities, provides command-line access to these GVFS capabilities, enabling consistent file operations across various protocols and virtual file systems without needing to mount them traditionally or use protocol-specific tools. Its development is tied to the evolution of the GNOME desktop environment and its underlying infrastructure for file management.

gvfs-copy(1), gvfs-cat(1), gvfs-ls(1), gvfs-trash(1), mv(1), cp(1)