What Linux tool can reliably rename and move large photo collections using EXIF metadata?
Asked 4/5/2011
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2 answers
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I need to reorganize a large photo archive of about 35,000 JPEGs and 5,000 NEF raw files. My previous workflow used RoboImport, but it crashes partway through large imports and doesn’t resume cleanly. I’d like a reliable tool, preferably on Linux, that can move and/or rename image files based on metadata such as EXIF date taken. Cross-platform is fine, and I only need it for file organization rather than browsing or cataloging.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
4
While you can find several "automator"-style programs for Linux (there's also one specific for working with images, though I can't remember the name off the top of my head).
But if you really want something advanced (and possibly cross-platform), I believe your best option is to develop something yourself. Personally, I quite like Python for such tasks (good with data management, cross-platform &c) - but you may have other preferences.
Originally by user187. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user187
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
A strong fit is ExifTool. It’s widely used for metadata-based photo organization and can both rename files and move them into folders derived from EXIF fields like DateTimeOriginal.
Examples from the community:
- Move files into a year/month/day folder structure:
exiftool "-Directory<DateTimeOriginal" -d "%Y/%m/%d" DIR - Move and rename by type/date/time:
exiftool -d '%%e/%Y/%Y%m%d/%H%I_%%f.%%e' '-filename<DateTimeOriginal' YOURDIR
This makes ExifTool especially suitable for separating JPEG and NEF files while keeping a consistent metadata-based structure.
If you want something more customized or cross-platform, writing a small script (for example in Python) is another option, but ExifTool is likely the easiest reliable solution for this specific task.
A Windows alternative mentioned was XnView, which can rename files based on EXIF/IPTC and is considered stable, though it may be less flexible for moving and renaming simultaneously.
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