---
name: "mktemp"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "coreutils"
version: "9.12-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd", "openbsd", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/mktemp"
---

# mktemp(1)

create a temporary file or directory

## 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, minus 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 DIR, --tmpdir\[=DIR\]**

  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**, TEMPLATE may contain slashes, but mktemp creates only the final component

- **-t**

  interpret TEMPLATE as a single file name component, relative to a directory: $TMPDIR, 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

Report bugs to: \<bug-coreutils@gnu.org\>.\
 Report any translation bugs to: \<https://translationproject.org/team/\>.\
 GNU coreutils home page: \<https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/\>\
 General help using GNU software: \<https://www.gnu.org/gethelp/\>

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2026 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)](/mkstemp/3.md), [**mkdtemp**(3)](/mkdtemp/3.md), [**mktemp**(3)](/mktemp/3.md)

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