---
name: "mkfifo"
section: "1"
platform: "macos"
package: "file_cmds"
version: "479"
release: "macOS 26.5"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd", "openbsd", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/mkfifo"
---

# mkfifo(1)

make fifos

## NAME

**mkfifo** – make fifos

## SYNOPSIS

**mkfifo** \[**-m** *mode*\] *fifo\_name* *...*

## DESCRIPTION

The **mkfifo** utility creates the fifos requested, in the order specified.

The options are as follows:

- **-m**

  Set the file permission bits of the created fifos to the specified mode, ignoring the [umask(2)](/umask/2.md) of the calling process. The *mode* argument takes any format that can be specified to the [chmod(1)](/chmod/1.md) command. If a symbolic mode is specified, the op symbols ‘+’ (plus) and ‘-’ (hyphen) are interpreted relative to an assumed initial mode of “a=rw” (read and write permissions for all).

If the **-m** option is not specified, fifos are created with mode 0666 modified by the [umask(2)](/umask/2.md) of the calling process. The **mkfifo** utility requires write permission in the parent directory.

## EXIT STATUS

The **mkfifo** utility exits 0 on success, and \>0 if an error occurs.

## SEE ALSO

[mkdir(1)](/mkdir/1.md), [rm(1)](/rm/1.md), [umask(1)](/umask/1.md), [mkfifo(2)](/mkfifo/2.md), [mknod(2)](/mknod/2.md), [umask(2)](/umask/2.md), [compat(5)](/compat/5.md), [mknod(8)](/mknod/8.md)

## STANDARDS

The **mkfifo** utility is expected to be IEEE Std 1003.2 (“POSIX.2”) compliant.

## HISTORY

The **mkfifo** command appeared in 4.4BSD.