UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Hello all. Newbie here.

In a directory, I have 50 files and one additional file that is a list of the names of the 50 files. I would like to create a directory for each of the 50 files, and I need the 50 directory names to correspond to the 50 file names. I know this can be done by running awk on the file with the list of names, but can't seem to figure it out.

Does anyone have any advice? I hope I am being clear, but if not, please let me know.

Probably best done in shell with a while read loop.

Code:

while read filename
do
  # create directory based on filename.
done < additional_file

One more way ..

Code:

$ awk '{print "mkdir "$0}' 50_dir_list | sh

Jay, thank you so much. This is exactly what I was looking for. I just kept messing up the awk syntax. I'm curious. Let's say that simultaneously you wanted to make all of the directories and move the 50 files into their respective directory. How would you do that in a single awk statement?

Thank you both for your replies.

Code:

awk '{print "mkdir dir_"$1"; mv "$1" dir_"$1}' list | sh

For some reason I cannot make a directory with the same name as an existing file in the folder, hence the prefixed 'dir_' before the directory name.

Hi Jawsnnn. I was having that problem as well, and I worked around it in a similar way as you did. Thanks.

Code:

while read f
do
  mkdir -- "dir_$f"  &&   mv -- "$f" "dir_$f"
done < list