Software⏱️ 3 min read📅 2026-06-15

How to Fix: Rename file on WSL using `mv` produced error: "are the same file"?

Renaming a file in WSL using `mv` produces an error. How to fix this issue?

Quick Answer: The issue is caused by the Windows Terminal settings, which are not compatible with the `mv` command. To fix this, update the Windows Terminal settings to use the default WSL configuration.

📋 Table of Contents

  1. 🛑 Root Causes of the Error
  2. ✅ Best Solutions to Fix It
  3. 🎯 Final Words

The error 'are the same file' when using `mv` to rename a file in WSL occurs due to the way Windows handles file names with accents or non-ASCII characters. This issue affects users who have installed WSL on their Windows systems and are using the `mv` command to rename files.

This frustration can be particularly annoying for users who rely heavily on renaming files as part of their workflow.

🛑 Root Causes of the Error

  • The primary reason for this error is that the `mv` command in WSL does not support file name case sensitivity. When you try to rename a file with an accent or non-ASCII character, it treats the two versions as the same file.
  • An alternative cause could be that there are issues with file system permissions or ownership, which might prevent the `mv` command from renaming files.

✅ Best Solutions to Fix It

Using the `mv` Command with the `-n` Option

  1. Step 1: To rename a file using `mv` without moving it to the target location, use the `-n` option. This tells `mv` not to overwrite any existing file.
  2. Step 2: For example, try running `mv -n handle_DailyAccountingSummary.py handle_dailyaccountingsummary.py`.
  3. Step 3: If you want to rename a file and move it to the target location, use the default behavior of `mv`. However, be aware that this may result in data loss if there are any issues with file system permissions or ownership.

Using the `rename` Command

  1. Step 1: As an alternative to using `mv`, you can try renaming files using the `rename` command. This command is available on most Linux distributions, including Debian.
  2. Step 2: To rename a file using `rename`, run `rename handle_DailyAccountingSummary.py handle_dailyaccountingsummary.py`.
  3. Step 3: Note that this method may also have issues with file system permissions or ownership, so use it with caution.

🎯 Final Words

In summary, the error 'are the same file' when using `mv` to rename a file in WSL is caused by file name case sensitivity. To fix this issue, you can try using the `-n` option with `mv`, renaming files using the `rename` command, or taking other steps to resolve any issues with file system permissions or ownership.

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