mkdir

mkdir

The mkdir command in Unix and Linux is used to create directories (folders) within the file system. It is a straightforward command for creating new directories at specified locations.

Basic Usage

The basic syntax for the mkdir command is:

mkdir [options] directory...

• options: Command-line options to control the behavior of mkdir.

• directory: The name(s) of the directory(ies) to be created.

Examples

Creating a Single Directory

To create a single directory:

mkdir mydir

This command creates a directory named mydir in the current working directory.

Creating Multiple Directories

To create multiple directories at once:

mkdir dir1 dir2 dir3

This command creates directories dir1, dir2, and dir3 in the current working directory.

Creating Nested Directories

To create nested directories (directories within directories):

mkdir -p parentdir/subdir

This command creates a directory named parentdir if it doesn't exist, and within it, creates a directory named subdir.

Options

-p Option: Create Parent Directories

To create parent directories as needed:

mkdir -p path/to/parent/dir/newdir

This command creates the entire directory structure path/to/parent/dir/ if it doesn't exist, and then creates newdir within it.

-m Option: Set Directory Permissions

To set permissions for the newly created directory:

mkdir -m 755 newdir

This command creates newdir with permissions set to 755 (read, write, execute for owner, read and execute for group and others).

Practical Use Cases

Organizing Project Files

To create directories for organizing project files:

mkdir project
cd project
mkdir src docs tests

This sequence of commands creates a project directory and within it, creates src, docs, and tests directories.

Creating Temporary Workspaces

To create temporary workspaces for specific tasks:

mkdir workspaces/task1
mkdir workspaces/task2

This command creates separate directories for different tasks within a workspaces directory.

Summary

The mkdir command is a simple yet essential tool for creating directories in Unix and Linux environments. Its ability to create nested directories (-p option) and set permissions (-m option) provides flexibility for various use cases, from organizing files to creating temporary workspaces. Understanding these options and practical use cases can help you efficiently manage directory structures in your file system.

help

Usage: mkdir [OPTION]... DIRECTORY...
Create the DIRECTORY(ies), if they do not already exist.

Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.
  -m, --mode=MODE   set file mode (as in chmod), not a=rwx - umask
  -p, --parents     no error if existing, make parent directories as needed
  -v, --verbose     print a message for each created directory
  -Z                   set SELinux security context of each created directory
                         to the default type
      --context[=CTX]  like -Z, or if CTX is specified then set the SELinux
                         or SMACK security context to CTX
      --help     display this help and exit
      --version  output version information and exit