Bulk renaming files in Linux Mint is about to get easier.
Linux Mint devs have announced a new XApp (what Mint calls its homegrown apps) will feature in the upcoming Linux Mint 20.2 “Uma” release. Named Bulky, its aim is evident: let users bulk rename files in the Cinnamon and MATE desktops.
Now, batch renaming files in Linux isn’t a task lacking options. A number of apps catering to this task exist, ranging from command-line based batch renaming utilities to use-friendly GUI apps.
Mint’s Python-based Bulky looks as though it’s going to sit somewhere between the two option, offering relatively powerful renaming rules but exposed in a straightforward user interface.
Keen to try it? You don’t have to wait long. The Linux Mint 20.2 beta is due for release sometime in June, ahead of the final, stable release of Linux mint 20.2 later thus year.
But bulk renaming aside, there’s another notable improvement set to ship in Linux Mint 20.2. The next release soups up the Nemo file manager’s file search capabilities by enabling it to search file content as well as file name.
“Nemo will feature content search. Until now you could only search for files. In Nemo 5.0 you’ll be able to combine file search and content search, i.e. files which are named a certain way and/or which contain particular words,” Mint say.
I’m terrible at naming files. Some of my most important ones (like templates for article thumbnails) have titles that either bear no relation to what’s actually inside, e.g., “aadadadad”, or come appended in a score of decreasingly helpful specificities, e.g., “new-document-final-draft-FINAL-New-draft-PROPER” 😅.
Will Nemo content search in Linux Mint 20.2 will help me? I can’t say until I try it, but I do know that being able to search for a keyword inside of a file has, on more than one occasion, helped me find something faster than it would’ve on other systems.
Finally, don’t forget about Sticky, a sticky notes app for Linux Mint. Work is continuing on the new app and it looks as though it’ll make its debut alongside Linux Mint 20.2 later this year.