Cfxtrjtrk

I am trying to rename a file named "-a" to "a" using the command line (zsh shell). I have tried the following

mv -a "a"

mv '-a' "a"

mv "-a" "a"

but got

mv: illegal option -- a

usage: mv [-f | -i | -n] [-v] source target

   mv [-f | -i | -n] [-v] source ... directory

each time. Is there a way to escape "-a" or any other command option in the shell?

When you need to specify a file name that starts with a dash as argument to a command, which might interpret it as option instead, you can write the absolute or explicit relative path to the file instead:

mv /path/to/-a a

mv ./-a a

Alternatively some (not all) commands support -- as separator between options and positional arguments. This depends on the specific command you use though.

mv -- -a a

mv -- -a a

The '--' tells the shell that what follows after this is not an option to the command.

All your variants give, after the evaluation of quotes and backslash, the command mv -a a so you are told that the option '-a' is not a valid option to the mv command and that you should give a target operand.