How to Create a Hidden Directory in Linux

How to Create a Hidden Directory in Linux

Hey there! 👋 Welcome to this beginner-friendly tutorial on hidden directories in Linux. If you’ve ever wondered how to keep certain files or folders out of plain sight, this one’s for you.

In Linux, a hidden directory is just like a regular one, but with one small trick: its name starts with a dot (.).

🔧 Step-by-Step: Creating a Hidden Directory

Let’s start with the basics. Open your terminal, and we’ll create a hidden directory together.

mkdir .my_hidden_folder

That’s it! Yes, seriously—that’s all you need to do.

📁 What Just Happened?

By adding a dot at the beginning of the folder name, Linux treats it as hidden. If you list files normally with ls, you won’t see it:

ls

Documents  Downloads  Music  Pictures

But if you use the -a flag, it shows all files, including hidden ones:

ls -a

.  ..  .my_hidden_folder  Documents  Downloads

👀 Navigating into a Hidden Directory

You can still use cd to go inside it like any normal folder:

cd .my_hidden_folder

🧹 Optional: Creating a Hidden Directory Inside Another One

mkdir -p projects/.config_folder

This creates a hidden directory called .config_folder inside the projects folder. The -p flag ensures the parent directory is created if it doesn't already exist.

🎯 Recap

• Hidden directories in Linux start with a dot (.)
• Use ls -a to view them
• You can enter them with cd just like regular folders

And that’s it! Now you know how to hide your folders like a Linux ninja 🥷. Whether you’re organizing config files or just keeping things tidy, hidden directories are a simple and powerful trick.

See you in the next tutorial!