How to Create Multiple Directories in Linux.

👨‍💻Explanations & Visual Hints

Managing directories (folders) is a basic yet powerful skill in Linux. This guide teaches you step-by-step how to create multiple directories with different methods, scenarios, and command-line switches using mkdir, xargs, date, loops, and more.

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Table of Contents

• 1. Basic Multiple Directory Creation
• 2. Bulk Directory Creation Using Brace Expansion
• 3. Creating Directories in a Specific Path
• 4. Creating Nested Directories Using -p
• 5. Creating Directories from a File (Input File Method)
• xargs -a method (with full explanation)
• while read loop method
• 6. Date-Based Directory Creation
• 7. mkdir Command Options & Tips

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1. Basic Multiple Directory Creation

mkdir dir1 dir2 dir3

Output:

$ ls
  dir1  dir2  dir3

Explanation:

• mkdir = make directory.
• You can pass multiple folder names.

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2. Bulk Directory Creation Using Brace Expansion

mkdir folder{1..10}  # folder1 to folder10

mkdir log_{A..Z}     # log_A to log_Z

Why it's useful:

• Saves typing.
• Works with patterns (e.g., folder2025_{01..12}).

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Creating Directories in a Specific Location

mkdir /home/yourname/projects/{api,web,mobile}

Note:

• Creates folders under /home/yourname/projects.

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Create Nested Directories with -p

mkdir -p reports/2025/may/week1

Explanation:

• -p = create parent directories if they don't exist.
• Prevents errors when creating deep structures.

Output:

reports/
  ├── 2025/
  │   ├── may/
  │   │   └── week1/
  

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Creating Directories from a File (Input File Method)

📄 Input File Example (folders.txt):

logs
backups
images
scripts
configs

Method 1: Using xargs -a

xargs -a folders.txt mkdir

What is xargs -a?

• xargs builds and executes command lines from input.
• -a tells it to read from a file directly.

Example Breakdown:

$ cat folders.txt | xargs mkdir

Same as:

xargs -a folders.txt mkdir

What it does:

• Reads each line of folders.txt.
• Passes it to mkdir.

Method 2: Using while read loop

while IFS= read -r dir; do
mkdir "$dir"
done < folders.txt

Why this is useful:

• More control.
• Can validate folder names inside the loop.

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Date-Based Directory Creation

Today's Date:

mkdir "$(date +%F)"  # Example: 2025-05-08

Past 7 Days:

for i in {0..6}; do
mkdir "$(date -d "-$i day" +%F)"
done

Creates folders like:

2025-05-08
2025-05-07
...
2025-05-02

Custom Format:

mkdir "$(date +%d-%b-%Y)"  # e.g., 08-May-2025

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⚙️ 7. mkdir Options You Should Know

Option	Meaning
-p	Create parent folders recursively
-v	Verbose mode (show what's being created)
-m	Set permission mode (e.g., -m 755)

Example:

mkdir -pv -m 755 projects/api/{v1,v2}

Output:

mkdir: created directory 'projects'
mkdir: created directory 'projects/api'
mkdir: created directory 'projects/api/v1'
mkdir: created directory 'projects/api/v2'

Have questions or want help with scripts? Drop them in the comments!