A path that looks like one filename to a person can become several arguments when typed unquoted into Bash. Before using a copy, move or other file-changing command, check how the shell will receive the exact path with a read-only operation.

Preserve the path as one argument

For a simple literal path containing spaces, enclose the whole absolute path in straight single quotes. For example, ls -ld -- '/home/alex/Client Files' asks to list information about that named directory. Replace the example with the real path; do not assume the example user or folder exists.

The quotes are shell syntax and are not part of the filename. The -- tells this command that the following text is an operand rather than an option. Confirm the returned name and location before adapting the argument to any operation that changes files.

Single quotes preserve literal characters in Bash, but a single quote cannot simply be inserted inside an already single-quoted string. If the actual filename contains an apostrophe, use a correctly constructed command from someone who understands Bash quoting instead of deleting punctuation from the filename to make the example fit.

Avoid accidental expansion

Double quotes have different rules: dollar signs and command substitutions can still be meaningful inside them. Do not assume that surrounding arbitrary copied text with double quotes makes it literal. Typographic curly quotation marks copied from a document are also not substitutes for shell quote characters.

Use the complete absolute path for this test rather than putting a tilde inside single quotes and expecting home-directory expansion. Keep filenames and the command's options conceptually separate when reviewing a proposed command.

If the read-only check reports no such file, compare the exact spelling, capitalisation and parent directory in Files. Do not proceed to a destructive command just because the error seems to concern spacing. The acceptance check is that the harmless command identifies the intended single file or directory before that same path is used for real work.

Sources: GNU documentation.