How to create a new directory in Linux using the terminal?

The mkdir command is used to create a new directory in the Linux/Unix operating system. It is also used to create more than one directory at a time and set the permission for the directories just like the chmod command in the Linux system.

Syntax

The general syntax of the mkdir command is as follows −

$ mkdir [OPTION]... [DIRECTORIES]...

Brief description of options available in the mkdir command.

To create a new directory in the Linux/Unix operating system using terminal, we use mkdir (make directory) command as shown in below.

$ mkdir newdir

After executing this command, a new directory will be created with the “newdir” name in the current director.

The mkdir command is also used to create multiple directories at time as shown in below.

$ mkdir dir1 dir2 dir3 dir4...

To create a parent directory and child directory using -p or --parents option and print a message that what is being done using -v or --verbose option along with the mkdir command in the Linux system as shown in below.

 $ mkdir --parent --verbose parent/child
   mkdir: created directory ‘parent’
   mkdir: created directory ‘parent/child’

After executing the above command, a new directory is created as well a child directory also created inside the parent directory.

To create directory and set permission at the time of creation, we use -m or --mode option with the mkdir command.

$ mkdir -m 400 newdir

To check the version information of the mkdir command run below command.

$ mkdir --version

To check more details about options about the mkdir command execute --help option with the mkdir command.

$ mkdir --help

Note – It is mandatory to owner permission to create a directory in the parent directory otherwise an error will be “prompt permission denied”.