# mktemp(1) - man - phpman

> **TLDR:** Create a temporary file or directory.
>
- Create an empty temporary file and print its absolute path:
  `mktemp`
- Use a custom directory if `$TMPDIR` is not set (the default is platform-dependent, but usually `/tmp`):
  `mktemp -p /{{path/to/temporary_directory}}`
- Use a custom path template (`X`s are replaced with random alphanumeric characters):
  `mktemp {{/tmp/example.XXXXXXXX}}`
- Use a custom file name template:
  `mktemp -t {{example.XXXXXXXX}}`
- Create an empty temporary directory and print its absolute path:
  `mktemp -d`

*Source: tldr-pages*

---

[MKTEMP(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/MKTEMP/1/markdown)                                   User Commands                                  [MKTEMP(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/MKTEMP/1/markdown)



## NAME
       mktemp - create a temporary file or directory

## SYNOPSIS
       **mktemp** [_OPTION_]... [_TEMPLATE_]

## DESCRIPTION
       Create  a  temporary file or directory, safely, and print its name.  TEMPLATE must contain at
       least  3  consecutive  'X's  in  last  component.   If  TEMPLATE  is   not   specified,   use
       tmp.XXXXXXXXXX,  and **--tmpdir** is implied.  Files are created u+rw, and directories u+rwx, mi‐
       nus umask restrictions.

### -d --directory
              create a directory, not a file

### -u --dry-run
              do not create anything; merely print a name (unsafe)

### -q --quiet
              suppress diagnostics about file/dir-creation failure

       **--suffix**=_SUFF_
              append SUFF to TEMPLATE; SUFF must not contain a slash.  This  option  is  implied  if
              TEMPLATE does not end in X

### -p --tmpdir
              interpret  TEMPLATE relative to DIR; if DIR is not specified, use $TMPDIR if set, else
              _/tmp_.  With this option, TEMPLATE must not be an absolute name; unlike with  **-t**,  TEM‐
              PLATE may contain slashes, but mktemp creates only the final component

### -t
              if set; else the directory specified via **-p**; else _/tmp_ [deprecated]

       **--help** display this help and exit

### --version
              output version information and exit

## AUTHOR
       Written by Jim Meyering and Eric Blake.

## REPORTING BUGS
       GNU coreutils online help: <<https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>>
       Report any translation bugs to <<https://translationproject.org/team/>>

## COPYRIGHT
       Copyright © 2020 Free Software Foundation, Inc.  License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3  or  later
       <<https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>>.
       This  is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.  There is NO WARRANTY, to
       the extent permitted by law.

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

       Full documentation <<https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/mktemp>>
       or available locally via: info '(coreutils) mktemp invocation'



GNU coreutils 8.32                          January 2026                                   [MKTEMP(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/MKTEMP/1/markdown)