Creating Directories (mkdir)

The mkdir command creates new directories. It's essential for organizing your files.

Basic Usage

mkdir directory_name

Creating Nested Directories

Use -p to create parent directories:

mkdir -p parent/child/grandchild

Without -p, this would fail if parent doesn't exist.

mkdir Options

Option	Description
-p	Create parent directories as needed
-v	Verbose - show created directories
-m	Set permissions mode

Creating Multiple Directories

mkdir dir1 dir2 dir3
mkdir -p project/{src,test,docs}

The second form uses brace expansion to create multiple directories efficiently.

Exercise: Create a Directory Structure

Create a directory called myproject with subdirectories src and tests:

Setting Permissions

Create a directory with specific permissions:

mkdir -m 755 public_folder
mkdir -m 700 private_folder

Common Project Structures

Web Project

mkdir -p webapp/{public,src,tests,docs}

Python Project

mkdir -p myproject/{src,tests,data,docs}

Node.js Project

mkdir -p app/{routes,models,views,public}

Directory Naming Conventions

Convention	Example
lowercase	documents, photos
kebab-case	my-project, web-app
snake_case	my_project, web_app
CamelCase	MyProject (less common)

Troubleshooting

Error	Cause	Solution
File exists	Directory already exists	Choose different name or remove existing
Permission denied	No write access	Check parent directory permissions
No such file or directory	Parent doesn't exist	Use mkdir -p

Key Takeaways

• mkdir creates directories
• Use -p to create nested directories and parents
• Create multiple directories at once with space-separated names
• Use brace expansion for complex structures: mkdir -p dir/{a,b,c}