How to Create Directory in Bash

Quick Answer: Create a Directory in Bash

To create a directory in Bash, use the mkdir command: mkdir mydir. For nested directories, use the -p flag: mkdir -p /path/to/nested/directory. This creates all parent directories as needed without errors.

Quick Comparison: Directory Creation Methods

Method	Purpose	Flags	Best For
mkdir	Single directory	None	Simple creation
mkdir -p	Nested structure	-p	Complex paths
mkdir -m 755	With permissions	-m	Setting perms
mkdir -v	Verbose output	-v	Seeing progress
mkdir -p + chmod	Nested + perms	-p + chmod	Complex setup

Bottom line: Use mkdir -p for safe nested directory creation.

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Create directories in Bash using the mkdir command.

Create Single Directory

mkdir mydir

Create Nested Directories

# Create nested structure
mkdir -p /home/user/documents/projects/myblog

The -p flag creates parent directories as needed.

Create Multiple Directories

mkdir dir1 dir2 dir3

Create with Specific Permissions

# Create with 755 permissions (rwxr-xr-x)
mkdir -m 755 mydir

# Create with 700 permissions (rwx-----)
mkdir -m 700 private_dir

Practical Examples

Create Directory if It Doesn’t Exist

dir="/home/user/documents"

if [ ! -d "$dir" ]; then
  mkdir -p "$dir"
  echo "Created directory: $dir"
fi

Create Backup Directory

backup_dir="$HOME/backups/$(date +%Y-%m-%d)"
mkdir -p "$backup_dir"

echo "Backup saved to: $backup_dir"

Create Project Structure

#!/bin/bash

project_name="myproject"

mkdir -p "$project_name"/{src,tests,docs,bin}

echo "Project structure created:"
ls -la "$project_name"/

Output:

bin/
docs/
src/
tests/

Create Temporary Directory

# Create unique temporary directory
tmpdir=$(mktemp -d)
echo "Temporary directory: $tmpdir"

# Do work...

# Clean up
rm -rf "$tmpdir"

Error Handling

#!/bin/bash

dir="$1"

if mkdir -p "$dir" 2>/dev/null; then
  echo "Directory created successfully"
else
  echo "ERROR: Failed to create directory"
  exit 1
fi

Permissions Reference

Value	Permissions	Meaning
700	rwx------	Owner only
755	rwxr-xr-x	Owner full, others read+execute
777	rwxrwxrwx	Everyone full access

Recommended Pattern

# Always use -p to create parent directories
mkdir -p "$directory_path"