# FileUtils.mv not working?

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fileutils-mv-not-working/77338>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [November 27, 2006, 3:00am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fileutils-mv-not-working/77338 "2006-11-27T03:00:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Trans](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@Trans](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Trans)\
**Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 3:00am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fileutils-mv-not-working/77338/1 "2006-11-27T03:00:21Z")

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I’m trying to move a folder from the /tmp dir (accessed via Dir.tmpdir)  
to the current working directory. It fails to do the move and instead  
just copies the folder. I get no error or warning. I can do it just  
find from the command line:

mv /tmp/foo bar

but if I try

ruby -w -rfileutils -e “FileUtils.mv(’/tmp/foo’, ‘bar’))”

It only copies. Anyone have any idea why?

Thanks,  
T.

ruby 1.8.4 (2005-12-24) [i486-linux] on ubuntu

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Trans](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@Trans](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Trans)\
**Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 4:52am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fileutils-mv-not-working/77338/2 "2006-11-27T04:52:31Z")

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Trans wrote:

> I can do it just find from the command line:  
> mv /tmp/foo bar  
> but if I try  
> ruby -w -rfileutils -e “FileUtils.mv(’/tmp/foo’, ‘bar’))”  
> It only copies. Anyone have any idea why?

FileUtils.mv is a ::cp and an ::unlink behind the scenes. I’m not  
familiar enough with Unix permissions – perhaps they are such that you  
can move a file but not remove it?

Devin

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Trans](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@Trans](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Trans)\
**Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 5:46am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fileutils-mv-not-working/77338/3 "2006-11-27T05:46:37Z")

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On Mon, 27 Nov 2006, Trans wrote:

> It only copies. Anyone have any idea why?
> 
> Thanks,  
> T.
> 
> ruby 1.8.4 (2005-12-24) [i486-linux] on ubuntu

shouldn’t you be using .cp\_r?

-a

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Trans](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@Trans](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Trans)\
**Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 6:50am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fileutils-mv-not-working/77338/4 "2006-11-27T06:50:42Z")

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removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid wrote:

> > ruby -w -rfileutils -e “FileUtils.mv(’/tmp/foo’, ‘bar’))”
> > 
> > It only copies. Anyone have any idea why?
> > 
> > Thanks,  
> > T.
> > 
> > ruby 1.8.4 (2005-12-24) [i486-linux] on ubuntu
> 
> shouldn’t you be using .cp\_r?

well, i want to move it. of course I can cp\_r + rm\_r which is  
equivalent (and what I ended up doing to work around it) but it seems  
to me mv should work.

t.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Trans](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@Trans](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Trans)\
**Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 8:48am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fileutils-mv-not-working/77338/5 "2006-11-27T08:48:51Z")

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Hi,

Trans wrote:

> ruby 1.8.4 (2005-12-24) [i486-linux] on ubuntu

Seems fixed in 1.8.5. Can you confirm?