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Use mkdir in an Ubuntu terminal to create directories. For example, mkdir projects creates a directory named projects in your current working directory, provided you can write to its parent. Add -p to create missing parent directories, -m to request permissions, or -v to see what was created.
What does the mkdir command do?
mkdir means “make directory.” It creates directories, not regular files. Its basic syntax is:
mkdir [OPTION]... DIRECTORY...For example, mkdir reports creates a directory called reports. By contrast, touch reports creates an empty regular file. Ubuntu’s GNU mkdir options and syntax are documented in the Ubuntu mkdir(1) manual.
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Relative paths are interpreted from the shell’s current working directory. Check that location first if you are unsure:
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pwd
mkdir project
ls -ld projectA successful mkdir normally prints nothing. The final command checks that project exists and shows its directory details.
To create several directories in the current location, give each name as a separate argument:
mkdir photos music documentsEach operand is handled separately; if an operand cannot be created, mkdir reports an error for it.
Create nested directories with -p
Without -p, this command fails if project or project/src does not already exist:
mkdir project/src/componentsThe usual error is No such file or directory. Use -p to create missing parent directories along the path:
mkdir -p project/src/componentsproject/
└── src/
└── components/-p also avoids an error if the target is already a directory, which is useful when a setup command may be run more than once. It does not make every path mistake harmless: an unintended but valid path can still be created. POSIX describes the option as creating missing intermediate pathname components and tolerating an existing target directory in its mkdir(1posix) manual.
Examples with a home-directory path and a path containing spaces:
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mkdir -p ~/Projects/demo
mkdir -p backups/2026/august
mkdir -p "$HOME/Documents/Work Files"Create several related directories at once
In shells that support brace expansion, you can write:
mkdir -p project/{src,tests,docs}The shell expands the braces before running mkdir, effectively passing these paths as separate arguments:
mkdir -p project/src project/tests project/docsproject/
├── docs/
├── src/
└── tests/Brace expansion is a shell feature, not a mkdir option. Use the explicit command when writing scripts for shells where brace expansion may not be available.
Choose between mkdir and mkdir -p
| Use | When it fits | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
mkdir name |
The parent should already exist, and an existing target should be treated as a possible mistake. | Fails if the target exists or a parent component is missing. |
mkdir -p path/to/name |
Missing parents should be created, or a setup command should be repeatable. | An existing directory is accepted, so a misspelled path can go unnoticed. |
Set directory permissions with -m
Use -m (or --mode) to request an initial permission mode when creating a directory:
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A symbolic mode can make the permission classes more explicit:
mkdir -m u=rwx,g=rx,o= privateThe requested mode is not necessarily the final mode. The process umask can remove requested permissions, and a default ACL may also affect the result. Linux documents the effective mode, absent a default ACL, as mode & ~umask & 0777 in the Ubuntu mkdir(2) manual. Check the actual result when access matters:
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umask
mkdir -m 750 secure-data
stat -c '%A %a %U:%G %n' secure-dataA command such as mkdir -m 777 shared does not guarantee mode 777, and broad write access can let other users modify the directory’s contents. Choose permissions for the people and processes that need access rather than defaulting to 777.
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By default, successful creation is quiet. Add -v (or --verbose) to print a message for each directory actually created:
mkdir -pv project/src/componentsTypical output looks like this, though wording can vary by implementation and locale:
mkdir: created directory 'project'
mkdir: created directory 'project/src'
mkdir: created directory 'project/src/components'Combine options
You can combine parent creation, a requested mode, and verbose output:
mkdir -p -m 750 -v project/secure/dataShort options can also be grouped, but options that take an argument can make a grouped command harder to read. For example, mkdir -pvm 750 project is less obvious to a beginner than the spaced form above.
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Handle spaces and names that begin with a hyphen
Quote a path containing spaces so the shell passes it as one argument:
mkdir "Project Files"
mkdir -p "$HOME/Documents/Project Files/Reports"Without quotes, mkdir Project Files passes two names, Project and Files. Quote variables for the same reason:
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dirname="Project Files"
mkdir "$dirname"An unquoted variable such as mkdir $dirname can undergo word splitting and wildcard expansion.
A name beginning with a hyphen can be mistaken for an option. End option processing with --, or give the name an explicit relative-path prefix:
mkdir -- -reports
mkdir ./-reportsUse relative or absolute paths deliberately
A relative path such as mkdir output is short, but its destination depends on the current working directory. That can surprise you when a script or terminal session starts somewhere unexpected. Use pwd to check your location.
An absolute path names the destination from the filesystem root:
mkdir -p /tmp/example/outputAbsolute paths are unambiguous, but paths under system-managed locations may require elevated privileges, and absolute paths may not suit other machines.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Understand permission errors and sudo
Creating a directory generally requires write permission on its parent and search (execute) permission to traverse the relevant path components. Inspect the path and its permissions before changing approach:
pwd
ls -ld . ..
ls -ld /path /path/to /path/to/parentFor a directory that genuinely belongs in a protected system location, elevated privileges may be needed, for example:
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sudo mkdir /srv/example
ls -ld /srv/examplesudo runs the operation as another user, usually root; it is not a general fix for commands targeting your home directory. A directory created as root may not be writable by your normal account. Prefer a user-owned location such as mkdir -p "$HOME/projects/example" when appropriate, and inspect ownership after an elevated creation.
Diagnose common mkdir errors
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check or do |
|---|---|---|
No such file or directory |
A parent path component is missing and -p was not used. |
Check the path; use mkdir -p path/to/dir if the parents should be created. |
File exists or an existing-path error |
The target exists as a file, symbolic link, or other incompatible object rather than a directory. | Inspect it before taking action: ls -ld project and file project. Do not delete it automatically. |
Permission denied |
The parent is not writable or a path component cannot be traversed. | Inspect ownership and permissions along the path. Use sudo only if the destination should be created with elevated ownership. |
| No output | Usually normal: successful mkdir is quiet. |
Verify with ls -ld name or add -v when creating. |
| Creation fails despite plausible permissions | The filesystem may be read-only, out of space, out of inodes, or the user may have reached a quota. | Check capacity and mount details with df -h ., df -i ., and mount | grep ' on '. |
| The path resolves somewhere unexpected | A path component may be a symbolic link. | Inspect it with ls -ld path/to/component and, where available, readlink -f path/to/component. |
| An option is unavailable or behaves differently | The installed implementation or version may differ. | Check the local command with mkdir --help and mkdir --version. |
Linux documents errors for existing paths, permission failures, read-only filesystems, space exhaustion, quota exhaustion, and symbolic-link resolution in the mkdir(2) manual. The diagnostic commands above can help narrow down a cause; they do not guarantee a remedy.
Check the local command’s options
Ubuntu installations can carry different package versions, so consult the command installed on your system when you need a specific option or version detail:
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mkdir --help
mkdir --versionUbuntu’s packaged GNU mkdir(1) reference documents -p, -m, -v, --help, and --version. It also lists SELinux/SMACK context options such as -Z and --context; these are advanced and depend on the installed implementation and security configuration, not a normal prerequisite for creating directories on Ubuntu.
Use mkdir in a shell script
A successful command returns a success status; failures return a nonzero status. Test that result if the script must stop when a directory cannot be prepared:
if mkdir -p "$HOME/app/data"; then
echo "Directory is ready"
else
echo "Could not create directory" >&2
exit 1
fiFor repeatable setup, mkdir -p is usually preferable to checking for a directory first and creating it separately. A separate check and creation can race with another process. The underlying Linux system call returns zero on success and an error on failure; the command exposes the outcome through its shell exit status, as described in the mkdir(2) reference.
Quick Recap
Quick reference
| Purpose | Command | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Create one directory | mkdir name |
Parent must exist and be writable. |
| Create several directories | mkdir one two three |
Each name is a separate operand. |
| Create missing parents | mkdir -p a/b/c |
Also tolerates an existing target directory. |
| Request initial permissions | mkdir -m 750 private |
Umask and default ACLs can affect the resulting mode. |
| Show created directories | mkdir -v name |
Prints a message for each created directory. |
| Show local help or version | mkdir --help / mkdir --version |
Reports the installed command’s information. |
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