- 1Linux Topics Index
- 2How to Create a File in Linux
- 3How to Rename a File in Linux
- 4How to Copy a File in Linux
- 5How to Move a File in Linux
- 6How to Delete a File in Linux
- 7How to Create a Directory in Linux
- 8How to Delete a Directory in Linux
- 9How to Copy Directories Recursively in Linux
- 10Delete Directories Recursively in Linux
- 11How to View Hidden Files in Linux
- 12How to Create a Hidden File in Linux
- 13How to Create a Hidden Directory in Linux
- 14How to Find Files in Linux Using find Command
- 15Find Files in Linux Using locate Command
- 16How to View File Contents Using cat in Linux
- 17How to View File Contents Using less in Linux
- 18View File Contents Using the more Command in Linux
- 19Compare Files Using diff Command in Linux
- 20Compare Files in Linux Using cmp Command
- 21Check File Type in Linux with file Command
- 22Create Symbolic Links with ln -s in Linux
- 23How to Archive Files Using tar Command in Linux
- 24Compress Files with gzip in Linux – Beginner Tutorial
- 25How to Compress Files Using bzip2 in Linux
- 26Compress Files in Linux Using zip Command
- 27Extract Compressed Files using tar in Linux
- 28Extract ZIP Files on Linux with unzip
- 29How to Extract .gz Files using gunzip in Linux

- 1Linux Topics Index
- 2How to Create a File in Linux
- 3How to Rename a File in Linux
- 4How to Copy a File in Linux
- 5How to Move a File in Linux
- 6How to Delete a File in Linux
- 7How to Create a Directory in Linux
- 8How to Delete a Directory in Linux
- 9How to Copy Directories Recursively in Linux
- 10Delete Directories Recursively in Linux
- 11How to View Hidden Files in Linux
- 12How to Create a Hidden File in Linux
- 13How to Create a Hidden Directory in Linux
- 14How to Find Files in Linux Using find Command
- 15Find Files in Linux Using locate Command
- 16How to View File Contents Using cat in Linux
- 17How to View File Contents Using less in Linux
- 18View File Contents Using the more Command in Linux
- 19Compare Files Using diff Command in Linux
- 20Compare Files in Linux Using cmp Command
- 21Check File Type in Linux with file Command
- 22Create Symbolic Links with ln -s in Linux
- 23How to Archive Files Using tar Command in Linux
- 24Compress Files with gzip in Linux – Beginner Tutorial
- 25How to Compress Files Using bzip2 in Linux
- 26Compress Files in Linux Using zip Command
- 27Extract Compressed Files using tar in Linux
- 28Extract ZIP Files on Linux with unzip
- 29How to Extract .gz Files using gunzip in Linux

- 1How to Add a New User in Linux
- 2Modify Existing User in Linux
- 3Delete a User in Linux — Step-by-Step for Beginners
- 4Create a User Group in Linux - Step-by-Step Tutorial
- 5Linux: Add User to Group
- 6How to Remove a User from a Group in Linux
- 7Delete a User Group in Linux - Beginner Friendly Tutorial
- 8Linux su Command Tutorial – Switch Users Easily
- 9Linux sudo Command - Execute as Another User
- 10Change a User's Password in Linux Using passwd
- 11Set Password Expiry in Linux using chage
- 12Lock a User Account in Linux
- 13How to Unlock a User Account in Linux
- 14Configure User Login Shell in Linux
- 15How to Configure User Environment Variables in Linux
- 16Edit .bashrc and .profile in Linux - User Startup Files Tutorial
How to Create a Directory in Linux
How to Create a Directory in Linux
In this topic, we're going to learn how to create a directory — or simply, a folder — using the Linux command line.
If you've ever used a graphical file manager to make a folder, this is just like that... but with superpowers using the terminal!
What is a Directory?
A directory is like a container where you can organize files and other directories. It's just a fancy word for a folder in Linux.
Step 1: Open Your Terminal
Whether you're using Ubuntu, Fedora, or any other Linux distribution, open your terminal window. We're going to use the mkdir
command — which stands for "make directory".
Basic Syntax
mkdir <directory-name>
Let’s try a basic example. Suppose you want to create a folder called projects
.
Example 1: Creating a Single Directory
mkdir projects
No output means it worked!
Now if you type:
ls
projects
You’ll see your new folder listed.
Example 2: Creating Multiple Directories
You can create more than one directory at a time by listing them in the mkdir command:
mkdir images videos documents
No output means all 3 were created!
Example 3: Creating Nested Directories
Want to create a folder inside another folder? Use the -p
flag (this stands for "parent"):
mkdir -p tutorials/linux/basics
No errors? Your nested folders are all ready!
Without -p
, you’d get an error if the parent folders don’t exist. So -p
is super helpful.
Bonus Tip: Check It Out with Tree
If you have the tree
command installed, you can see your directory structure visually:
tree tutorials
tutorials
└── linux
└── basics
Recap
mkdir
is used to make directories-p
lets you create nested directories- You can create multiple directories at once
That’s it — you’ve just learned how to create directories in Linux using the terminal! Keep practicing and you’ll feel right at home with the command line.