---
name: "dh_installdirs"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "debhelper"
version: "13.24.2"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/dh_installdirs"
---

# dh\_installdirs(1)

create subdirectories in package build directories

## NAME

dh\_installdirs - create subdirectories in package build directories

## SYNOPSIS

**dh\_installdirs** \[*debhelper options*\] \[**-A**\] \[**--sourcedir=***dir*\] \[**--create-in-sourcedir**\] \[*dir* ...\]

## DESCRIPTION

**dh\_installdirs** is a debhelper program that is responsible for creating subdirectories in package build directories.

Many packages can get away with omitting the call to **dh\_installdirs** completely.  Notably, other **dh\_\*** commands are expected to create directories as needed.

## FILES

- debian/*package*.dirs

  Lists directories to be created in *package*.

  Generally, there is no need to list directories created by the upstream build system or directories needed by other **debhelper** commands.

  Supports substitution variables in compat 13 and later as documented in [**debhelper**(7)](/debhelper/7.md).

## OPTIONS

- **-A**, **--all**

  Create any directories specified by command line parameters in ALL packages acted on, not just the first.

- **--create-in-sourcedir**, **--no-create-in-sourcedir**

  Whether to create the specified directories in the source directory (usually *debian/tmp*) *in addition to* in the package build directory (usually *debian/package*).

  The default is **--no-create-in-sourcedir**.

- **--sourcedir=***dir*

  Consider *dir* the source directory for the packages acted on instead of the default (which is usually *debian/tmp*).

  Please note that this option is dependent on the **--create-in-sourcedir** option (when **--no-create-in-sourcedir** is in effect, this option does nothing in **dh\_installdirs**).

- *dir* ...

  Create these directories in the package build directory of the first package acted on. (Or in all packages if **-A** is specified.)

## SEE ALSO

[**debhelper**(7)](/debhelper/7.md)

This program is a part of debhelper.

## AUTHOR

Joey Hess \<joeyh@debian.org\>