mkdir — Linux basic command

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A command that creates new directories.

Basic Information

What is this command?

mkdir is an abbreviation for make directory, a command that creates new directories. It provides useful features such as the -p option that creates parent directories simultaneously and the -m option that specifies permissions.

It is one of the most basic commands used when structuring files in Linux.

What problems does it solve?

• Creates new project folders.
• Creates nested directory structures all at once.
• Creates directories with specific permissions.
• Creates temporary working directories.

Key Features

Basic Directory Creation

Creates a single directory.

• Use Cases: When simply creating a new folder.
• Outcome Obtained: A directory with the specified name is created.
• Limitations: An error occurs if a directory with the same name already exists.

Nested Directory Creation (-p)

Creates parent directories simultaneously.

• Use Cases: When creating multiple-level directories like a/b/c all at once.
• Outcome Obtained: Intermediate directories are also created automatically.
• Limitations: Existing directories are ignored and skipped.

Permission Specification (-m)

Sets permissions for the directory to be created in one go.

• Use Cases: When creating a directory with specific permissions.
• Outcome Obtained: Permissions are set at the time of creation.
• Limitations: Incorrect numeric permissions can lead to access issues.

Secure Directory (-m 700)

Creates a directory accessible only by the owner.

• Use Cases: Used for directories requiring security, such as password files.
• Outcome Obtained: Access by other users is blocked.
• Limitations: Not suitable for directories that need to be shared.

Installation and Execution

Check Pre-installation

It is included by default in all Linux distributions.

which mkdir
mkdir --version

Separate Installation (Lightweight Environments)

It is usually already installed.

sudo apt install coreutils   # Debian/Ubuntu

Real-World Usage Examples

Basic Directory Creation

Creates a new directory.

# Create a single directory
mkdir my-project

# Create multiple directories simultaneously
mkdir dir1 dir2 dir3

# Verify
ls -ld my-project

Nested Directory Creation

Creates multiple-level directories all at once.

# Nested directories (-p option)
mkdir -p projects/2026/october/reports

# Verify
ls -R projects/
# projects/
# └── 2026/
#     └── october/
#         └── reports/

Permission-Specified Directory

Creates a directory with specific permissions.

# Read/write/execute only for owner (700)
mkdir -m 700 private-data

# Read/execute for owner, read/execute for group and others (755)
mkdir -m 755 public-html

# Verify
ls -ld private-data public-html