# man > MH-MKSTEMP(1mh)

[_MH-MKSTEMP_(1mh)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/MH-MKSTEMP/1mh/markdown)                                                                      [_MH-MKSTEMP_(1mh)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/MH-MKSTEMP/1mh/markdown)

## NAME
       mkstemp - create a temporary file

## SYNOPSIS


       **/usr/lib/mh/mkstemp **[**-help**] [**-version**] [**-directory _**directory_] [**-prefix _**prefix_] [**-suffix _**suf‐_
            _fix_]

## DESCRIPTION
       **mkstemp  **creates a temporary file using [_mkstemp_(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mkstemp/3/markdown), or if the **-suffix **switch is available and
       used, [_mkstemps_(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mkstemps/3/markdown).  The file name identifies a unique, newly created file,  and  always  con‐
       tains 6 characters that appear to be random.

       The **-directory **switch specifies a _directory_ in which to create the file.

       The **-prefix **switch specifies an initial part, before the 6 characters, of the file name.

       The  **-suffix **switch is only supported on platforms that provide the [_mkstemps_(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mkstemps/3/markdown) library func‐
       tion.  It specifies a _suffix_ to appear after the 6 characters; if it should begin with a spe‐
       cial character such as a period, that must be explicit in _suffix_.

       Unlike arguments to most switches of other **nmh **commands, the arguments  to  **mkstemp  **switches
       can begin with a dash.

## EXIT STATUS
       If  **mkstemp **successfully creates the temporary file, it prints the file name on standard out‐
       put and exits with status 0.  On failure, it prints a diagnostic message  on  standard  error
       and exits with status 1.

## PROFILE COMPONENTS
       None

## SEE ALSO
       [_mkstemp_(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mkstemp/3/markdown), [_mkstemps_(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mkstemps/3/markdown)

## DEFAULTS
       -directory    current directory
       -prefix       none
       -suffix       none

nmh-1.8                                      2014-03-16                              [_MH-MKSTEMP_(1mh)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/MH-MKSTEMP/1mh/markdown)